The Demons in the Shadows
by Happyangstywriter
Summary: Summary is inside. please read.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello my fellow fanfiction reader/writers. Some of you are glaring at this screen b/c it appears that I have so many stories foing on I don't what to do with myself. Some of you are intrigued as to what this is about, and genuinely don't care about the rest. And some of you are mad, b/c you read this on a different popular Bones fanfic site, and I never finished posting it there. For thos mad. I am sorry. I can't help my muse, and if it's any consolation I began writing this story over a year ago. So it is not like it is new for me or anything. For those of you who are mad b/c I never finished it where you first saw it. I am sorry again, but I found that site had too many rules for such an adverturous writer like me, and had to change. **

**Warnings: This story is not for the light of heart. It has many grotesque images that could quite possibly turn your stomach. (I am not saying this to be funny, I actually had a friend who read this and said her mother had asked her why she was green in the face all of a sudden.) This story dis not for someone who cannot handle language, for there will be a lot of it. This story is not for someone who is against reading/watching supernatural thrillers, b/c this is one. This story is not for someone opposed to being depressed at sporadic intervals throughout my story. This is not for someone who doesn' like charecter deaths.**

**And finally this story is not for someone who isn't able to handle mentions of abuse and torture inflicted upon children and adults alike.**

**I think I have well covered my bases now, I believe you have been duly(sp?) warned. On to the explanation of the story.**

**Synopsis: This picks up three months after Zack is admitted to the Psych Ward. Angela and Hodgins have already broken up, and neither are dealing with it very well. Booth and Bones are finally bridging that line they so stupidly put in place. And Cam is now feeling the effects of such a horrible career can do to your Psyche. **

**Further Synop: When a body is found so brutally murdered it is considered to cult driven, will Booth be able to handle the memories it brings up. What is happening to him, and why is everything changing around him? Who is the old enemy that is afterhim, and how is he starting events many and most all cannot explain? Are Angels and Demons real? Or is he really just crazy? Will Brennan believe him? What happens when she has no choice? Why are Angela, Sweets, Hodgins, Zack, Cam, and Charlie involved? And more importantly how? Who is Artemais and Arianna? Are they friends or foes? Do they make matters worse or better? Is Cam going to betray Booth? Or hold strong? Is all of this craziness, and hallucinations? Or reality? What does Angela and Hodgins past have to do with anything, and what is the truth behind her name change? **

**What do you do, when the world as knew...suddenly falls apart? Do you fight? Or do you pretend you don't see it, and act as if the problem isn't there?**

**Rating: T...there might be some rated M moments MUCH later, but I will section it off so you will be more than warned for it.**

**I hope I haven't scared you too much. I personally think I could have turned up the scary factor a WHOLE lot more. But decided not to. Also personally think it isn't so bad, but have been told repeatedly that I need to flag it beyond belief. I'll let you be the judge.**

**with that said I hope you enjoy this story. It is actually this poem that started my fanfic writing hobby. Litterally wrote while making my bed, no joke, and came up with an entirestory line in ten minutes. It isn't finished. But it will once it is, I will say it is my proudest work. **

**Without further adue, I introduce...**

**The Demons in the Shadows**

Prologue

There is a man of many shadows.

He hides his face,

But then he will follow.

Deep inside your dreams he lies,

Waiting to bring you to your demise.

He has a grudge he won't release.

He has a pain that won't ever cease.

In life he only has one goal.

To which he has lost his soul.

He strikes when least expected.

And once he has you,

Very soon will you regret it.

He will lure you in with sweet music and words of lies.

He will then make his grip upon you, and open your eyes.

No one knows this slithery man's name.

They only know all visits end the same.

But he loves to watch you struggle to stay alive.

Feeding off of your screams is his way to thrive.

And after all of the blood is spilled

His angry soul is not yet stilled.

He moves it into the next stage.

Little by little, he sucks out what life you have saved.

Don't go out late at night.

For if you do, you won't even have a fight.

Darkness is his greatest tool.

Before you know it, you're the fool.

Never underestimate his power.

He holds you hostage in yourself until you are devoured.

This to him is merely a game.

Cat and mouse tricks, all the same.

There is only ONE catch to it all.

It will be by your own slip do you fall.

Run and hide before he sees you.

Because once he has his choice is beyond undo.

His victims are always people close.

Just never the ones you expect the most.

This evil murderer has NO remorse, and his heart is as cold as winter snows.

And these are the reasons he is called:

The Man of Many Shadows.

**Please read the next chapter and then review. All thoughts are welcomed. The good, the bad, and the ugly ones as ell. I love honesty, and I think it should be used more regurally. So please spare no feelings and let me have it! Unless you really like it and decide, 'Hey, I am going to say something nice.' I won't complain. Not at all. I like being liked. lol Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1 - ****Wake Up**

* * *

A man in his mid thirties stands above lot that is vacant. He does not understand why he is there; he only knows that he is supposed to be. Slowly he lets his eyes wander in circles around the empty concrete area. Painted lines of black are put in shapes of open rectangles to show the presence of where a car should be parked. Broken gravel sits idle in the center to show where a disaster did occur.

Suddenly, he felt a twinge in his stomach, and he winced at the pain now radiating from deep inside. It grew rapidly into a blood stain from underneath his shirt. He fell hard against the ground as he screamed in pain. Carefully, he forces himself to stand, and once he does, he sees what he was meant to see.

There is a woman in her early thirties following behind a man dressed entirely in black. He could not see his face, he could only see the dark fog radiating from under his garments. Instinctively he knew he had to stop this. He had to save her. He had to protect her like all of the other times, but he could not move from his spot.

He called out her name. She didn't hear him. He tried again. Not glance his way.

He pulled, and fell, and stood, and fell again trying to get himself over to her. He couldn't.

The two stopped, and she appeared to be irritated. She began to turn around but the black figure grabbed her arm and spun her to face the man now weeping in pain. She appeared to see him but then a rag covered her face and down she went.

The black figure then picked her up and said pointedly to the other man.

"This is your fault, and now your time is up."

Then a beeping noise was heard as everything else faded to black as well.

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"NO! BONES!!" A certain special agent screamed as he flew up off of his pillow. He felt as though he couldn't breathe for several seconds, until he realized it was only another nightmare. The third that week.

He slowly laid his head back on the pillow and lightly closed his eyes again listening to the steady beeping of the alarm clock. He just needed sleep, but these dreams were taunting him. They were not always the same one, but it was unbearable, and always left him with a killer headache.

Letting out and "Arrgh" he hit the off button and then hit the shower.

Twenty minutes later he stood in his bathroom staring at himself in the mirror. From face value, you would say he was a normal 36 year old. But the problem with this agent is, he knows appearances are always deceiving. Yes, he was an army ranger and sniper. Yes, he served his country with pride and dignity. No, he would never deny that what he did in that time was important.

But it didn't mean that he believed it.

Beneath the decorations on his uniform, the years of dodging bullets, the years of dodging punches, the years protecting the wounded and unstable; lies a wounded man himself. He is an FBI special agent; one of the best in his field. He is an unwanted son; abused beyond belief. He is an amazing father; the days he can have his son.

This man was all of these things amongst others, and his name was Seeley Booth; in title, Special Agent in charge Seeley Ryan Booth, FBI.

His whole life he has been taught you must control your surroundings in order to not fall, but today he feels as if he is falling and no matter how much he does, he won't stop. And he feels this way because of a dream: a nightmare, or night terror. A sub-conscious display of untold fear or insecurities. Seeley Booth is afraid again because of this.

His partner, his precious partner for whom he would do anything for, gone? He couldn't take it. Not in dream, not in life. He death gripped the sink and swore under his breath at all of this. He was being ridiculous. It never happened and nightmares are not real. But then why did it feel that way? After angrily rubbing his face he walked through his bathroom door, and suddenly remembered the words as if he was being told them in person again.

_"This is your fault. And now you are out of time."_

"We'll just see who wins." he muttered to himself.

Now determined to protect his partner because for some strange reason he feels like she is unsafe, he pops a couple Tylenols and heads out to his SUV.

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Dr. Temperance Brennan came all but bouncing through the Jeffersonian sliding glass doors. The last three months of her life had been rather wonderful. Other than two of her closest friends breaking up and her protégé getting admitted to a psych ward because of his becoming an apprentice to a cannibalistic serial killer, but outside of that she was doing great. The cases that were coming in were ending smoothly, she was getting awesome and spontaneous ideas on her next book, she was up for an award at the Jeffersonian Grand Gala that week, and best of all, Booth and she were closer than they had ever been before.

She particularly loved the time she was able to spend with Booth's adorable son Parker. She was just absolutely infatuated with the six year old. From his dramatic brown eyes that could melt stone to his bouncy blonde curls, she loved the little guy as if he was her own. In the past three months, the three of them managed to go to a hockey game together, see a totally kids movie that both Booth and Brennan swore they would NEVER watch again but Parker loved, spend aimless hours at parks together taking turns pushing each other on swings, laugh at the silliest of jokes that Parker picked up from peers, share milkshakes at the Diner, and yes even Thai at Brennan's over a football game on the TV she finally bought.

Yes, for this forensic anthropologist, her life was on the up-and-up. Or that's what people usually say.

Getting to her office she found that her door was open, the lights were on, and a note was on her desk. Suddenly feeling panicked, she slowly eased over to her desk and carefully picked up the note. As she read the first word she completely relaxed and sat down in her office chair to release a gulp of air that she had sucked in. The note read,

_"Bones,_

_If you are reading this than it is probably 7:45 ,which is way early as usual. But since we usually talk at this time, I was wondering, if you wanted to meet me up on the secret terrace overlooking the Medico-Legal lab. The view is spectacular, and I thought it would be better than mumbling through a phone. Not to mention, I have your Tuesday gear: a lemon-blueberry scone and medium coffee with two creams and one sugar._

_And before you ask me how I know you eat this on Tuesdays, let me just tell you because I know you will ask me. Every week on this day, you make a crunching sound that is too loud for a doughnut or apple fritter. So I figured that it had to be a scone or a cookie. And cookies are not what I would expect you to eat in the morning. And I know you love blueberries. So putting two and two together, I have come to find what you eat every Tuesday morning._

_Feel free to thank me up on the roof! Just go upstairs to the service door, I left it open, and come up those stairs to a first left, then go up the stairs to our last door. This is where you will find me. _

_Hope to see you up here_

_Booth"_

At this Bones chuckled happily and jumped out of her chair. She nearly tripped over her discarded bag and other stuff she had brought in but kept moving. She was very excited. It almost felt like a first date. Even though her rational mind was telling her otherwise.

But for the first time ever, she told it to be quiet. She was ready to step over the line if he was. And inside her somewhere, gut feeling or not, she knew her life was changing. Changing again but most definitely changing for the better.

* * *

Angela Montenegro came stumbling through the sliding glass doors of the Jeffersonian on yet another miserable Tuesday morning. So miserable in fact, she has managed to break her iPod screen on her early morning jog, break the heel of her favorite pair of Jimmy Chiu shoes, shred the sketch she had stayed up almost all last night doing thinking it was something else, and to top it all off she has changed outfits twice due to run-ins with stains. That's right, for this forensic artist/head computer tech, life literally did suck.

She scanned her card through the security holster and plopped the files she was carrying down on her station. After checking her e-mails and responding to a few, she sat back in her chair and sighed. She was happy to find herself alone this morning. She needed time to clear her head.

She closed her eyes and pictured the guys face again. He was a limbo case that died almost 240 years ago. His name had been Fredrik Henderson, and he had died of Tuberculosis. Tragic. Three months ago she would have had better words, but today, she felt like she wanted to be selfish and say something with Sinicism.

"Just another nameless face in search to re-find his identity, aren't we all?" she muttered sadly.

"Well, actually, he isn't nameless. His name was Fredrik." a peculiar voice chimed in unexpectedly.

"Oh god you scared the crap out of me!" she said as she jumped out of her chair. After she regained composure she felt more embarrassed than angry but decided to throw the angry card at this stranger.

"And anyway, who are you? And what are you doing up here?"

"Well, Miss Montenegro, I am Dr. Brennan's new grad student."

She eyed him suspiciously and nodded her answer.

"My name is Carter McGinley."

"Hello, Mr. McGinley. I would introduce myself, but it appears you already know Me." she said with an arched eyebrow.

"Oh, yes. I know everyone here. Including a lot about them only certain people know. Like I congratulate you on your divorce, but give only condolences for your breakup with Dr. Hodgins."

Angela was taken aback by this and suddenly felt VERY uncomfortable. So she decided to excuse herself as gracefully as possible.

"Well, read this and enter it into the system for Dr. Brennan to review later. Then check the bones for any possible mistranslation." she replied bossily as she stalked off of the platform.

He watched her leave and said,

"Pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Montenegro."

She didn't respond, only because she couldn't hear him.

"I hope you like how much we will be seeing each other in the hopefully near future." he added in a whisper with a grin.

He then brought his eyes down to the file.

* * *

Dr. Jack Hodgins pulled into his assigned spot in the Jeffersonian Parking lot. He sat a second in park and gripped the steering wheel. Today was another day. Another day started off by rolling over expecting to find someone and only finding sheets, eating a small breakfast waiting for a sound of clicking heels and only hearing the shuffling noise his butler made as he picked up his food, and pulling into a stupid parking spot that used to see two happy individuals give a quick kiss and get out of the red and white Lamborghini only seeing his sad face. Today was another day that Hodgins was alone.

He cut the engine after five minutes of sitting and listening to it run and dropped the hand holding the key to his side as if he were carrying a ton in that six inches of flesh. Using the other hand he took off his sunglasses and stared at them willing tears to not fall again. Angela had bought him these. He to this day can remember their conversation over it.

*_*****_

"_Hey." Angela said with her usual mischievous eyes._

_"Hey!" Hodgins replied as he wrapped his arms around her waist in front of his station._

_"Remember how we met?" she asked casually._

_"Of course, babe! How could I forget?" he asked slightly shocked._

_"Well than you remember how outside on the Jeffersonian lawn, when you and I were supposed to be showcasing to the patrons that afternoon how our jobs and why our jobs would be so important to assist the Jeffersonian?"_

_"Yes, and we had to wear our sunglasses because it was so bright that afternoon, but we couldn't during our speech because we were supposed to appear professional and shades didn't fit the bill."_

_"A-huh, and do you remember what happened when you had taken yours off at the podium?"_

_"Yes! A bird decided to poop on them. And those were expensive shades! If I ever get a hold of that bird-!"_

_"You are forgetting something."_

_"Oh, yeah. And you tried to help me clean them off but the bird came back and dive bombed your hair sending you straight into my arms screaming, and death gripping the poor thing of lensed cash; snapping it between your iron grasp. That was the day I promised myself to one;_

_Never wear protective eye-wear during a speech, especially if you pay well over $400 for them. _

_And Two:_

_If I break number one, never let you near them for the sake of them keeping some dignity."_

_At that Angela chuckled._

_"Well, I have a surprise." she said as she handed over a small box with his name written on it._

_"Don't tell me you killed the bird!" he said with a hearty laugh._

_"Dear god, no! Just open it before I change my mind mister!" _

_He did and gasped at the sight before him. His sunglasses. She had bought him a new pair._

_"Angie... How did you..."_

_"It was nothing, honey. Believe me. Just enjoy and try to not wear them around angry-dive bombing-pointed pooping birds. Okay?" she said matching his laughter._

_He then captured her lips and said thank you again._

_**************_

Hodgins was more than just about to cry as put the sunglasses down. He needed Angela. But she would never take him back. Not now. Not ever.

"I am such a moron!" he said as he hit his head against the wheel and the horn sounded.

He had spent the last three months trying beyond belief to figure out how to apologize and patch up the situation. All the while inadvertently avoiding Angela at all costs. He picked his head up and got out of the car angrily. After slamming the door as hard as he could he stared at the sunrise between the concrete half-wall and the concrete ceiling. It swirled with reds on yellows and blues dancing with purples. It disgusted him. The sunrise was too happy. Hodgins wasn't happy. Hodgins was miserable in every sense of the word.

Cursing again he stalked over to the elevators.

Once inside, he began to absentmindedly fidget with the buttons of his coat. This elevator made him feel uncomfortable lately. Mainly because, it was the very same day they broke up that he and Angela had fought in it. How can someone look at something the same way after a dramatic thing like that? He shuddered as he remembered the sting of each one of her piercing words in that spat. He knew he didn't help either in it.

********

_"Can you just come off it!?" Angela nearly screamed._

_"Come off what? I am not saying anything to you!" he snapped back reaching her level of voice._

_"EXACTLY!! You have barely said two words to me without an attitude since Gracin showed up. Just get over it already!" _

_"Get over it? What's to get over?"_

_"The obvious male testosterone levels bucking for power! I am not a prize and will NOT be treated as such!"_

_"I have never treated you as a prize! Now that's a flat out lie!"_

_"Really, Jack? Cuz from what I saw yesterday, one would wonder." she gave back while shaking her head disbelievingly._

_"Oh, and what did you see? Huh? Cuz obviously I AM JUST BEING STUPID!"_

_"YES! You are, Jack. Yes you are." she replied more sad than angry as both fell silent and the doors opened causing them both to walk off in two different directions._

_***********_

Hodgins hit the wall of the elevator and rubbed his hand from the contact. His reflexes were definitely not what they used to be. And then the doors opened. Breathing in the fresh air, he stepped outside to the once again beautiful sky. "Perfect." He nearly spit as he stalked to the Jeffersonian doors.

* * *

Booth turned his tired body in the direction of the squeaking door. It was her. The woman he lived and breathed for.

Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan.

His breath caught in his throat when he saw her outfit. A beautiful turquoise, sequined top with a teasing V that was just low enough without being too much; Black pin-striped pants that tightly fit in all the right areas without being provocative; and two-inch heeled boots that pulled in the all of the rest of the colors. In a word to match the only thought that was able to be formed in his mind- "Wow".

He watched her approach slowly as her custom chunky jewelry swayed with a light sound of clanking. The butter flied sleeves swooshed with a perfect gust of wind as she grazed a few strands of stray, curled hair out of her face. He felt as if he was watching a movie and this was all going in slow motion. It took her saying "Hey" three times before she realized his expression.

"HELLO EARTH TO SEELEY BOOTH!" she said with a chuckle.

"Uh, huh... uh, yeah.... um hi." he replied lamely and looked down.

"Hey, don't look down! My face is up here." she said with a smile.

He looked up into her eyes and could have died a very happy man in that moment. Her velvety blue irises said one thing to him that made it impossibly difficult to form any coherent thoughts. Her eyes revealed the truth to his assumptions, she was in fact in love with him, and he could hardly stand up straight over it.

"And you have a beautiful face." he said without thinking and nearly slapped himself. "Oh, god, did I really just say that? Ugh, smooth..."

"Shh... It was funny, and thank you." she replied sweetly.

"You're welcome." he gave back with a sincere smile.

"So, Breakfast?"

"Oh, yeah..." he said and briefly turned around to glance back at his setting, it was perfect. "Would Dr. Temperance Brennan, world renowned Forensic Anthropologist and New York Times bestselling novelist like to join a very lucky FBI Special Agent in an early morning pick-nick?"

She stared deep into his eyes and replied honestly, "Only if that ""Lucky FBI agent"" is you."

He smiled brightly and replied, "Well then, follow me."

They laced arms and began walking back towards their meal.

"And by the way, I said ""VERY lucky FBI SPECIAL agent""."

"You know I sometimes believe you stress special because you tend to have a rather HIGH opinion about yourself." she countered with a chuckle.

"I would agree that I have a rather high opinion about myself, because you have never given me reason not to." He stopped in front of the lay out and she looked at him in surprise.

"Booth, oh my god! You did this for me?" she said tears threatening to fall.

"Of course! Why would I not give the best, to the best I have?" he said sincerely with his charm smile.

She didn't know what to say. He had gotten here probably way earlier than he should and had taken the time to get ALL of her morning favorites laid out on a dark colored plaid pick-nick blanket, complete with unlit candles and a daisy and daffodil bouquet. It was the most romantic thing anyone has ever tried to do for her.

"Well do you like it?" he asked nervously.

"YES!! Booth I..." she let a tear slip and he caught it with his finger. "Booth, I love it. It is the most... most romantic, beautiful, simple thing anyone has ever done for me. And thank you for being the one to do it for me."

They locked eyes faces mere inches apart. It took absolutely all of Booth's will power to not kiss her right there but he didn't do it. It would have been a good window, but he needed to let this play out a little further before he jumped off that bridge.

"So I guess we should eat." he said being the first to talk and jolt Bones away from her the wandering locations in her mind.

"Yeah, we should."

"And, Bones. I'm glad I am the first one to do this for you too. And I hope we will be able to do more of this." he said with hopeful foreshadowing.

"I think it can be arranged." she said with a glint in her eyes.

He smiled brightly as they sat down.

Conversation was light as they munched on scones and doughnuts and drank coffee by the cupful, neither wanting the atmosphere to change; neither wanting to have to leave this moment. It was just too right. It felt just too good. And somehow they knew that as soon as they went back downstairs they would go back to being Bones and Booth, the murder mystery team; when they really wanted to be like this: Temperance and Seeley, two people with no worries and no danger breathing down their neck. Booth had forgotten all about his dream. He was going to talk to her about it, but he didn't want to anymore. He didn't want to ruin this perfect morning, and besides it was only dream right?

They stood overlooking the grounds of the massive Jeffersonian and basked in the awesome sight of the sunrise dissipating out of view leaving only rays of golden light and beams of yellowed Heaven. Booth silently prayed thanks to God for granting the opportunity to experience this moment. And then glanced down at the woman lazily resting her head on his shoulder. He carefully placed his head on top of her and gently wrapped his strong arms around her waist. Silently they stood in awe at this amazing morning.

"Booth?" Brennan finally said.

"Yes, Temperance?" he said feeling the shiver that ran up her spine at the sound of her name passing his lips.

"You really do have a reason to have high opinions of yourself."

"I do?"

"Yes, you do."

"What are they?"

"One-you protect the ones that can't protect themselves, even when they don't want to be protected."

"I will always protect you Bones. And that is not a hap-hazard hope, that's a promise."

"A promise I believe, no less. Two-you give of yourself even if you have nothing material left to give, and never expect anything in return."

"I will always give you everything you need. Once again it's a promise."

"And once again I believe you. Three-you love the unlovable. And you make them feel needed and beautiful and never lie when you say that they are precious to you. You give them a reason to keep trying to fight against the bad and work with the good in every situation."

He picked his up and turned her to face him.

"Bones...Temperance...Tempe..." he said gradually getting softer each time. "I will always love you. You will never be unlovable. It hurts me to think that you have ever entertained that idea. You are worthy of feeling loved. You are more precious to me than life itself. You are beautiful inside and out, and I would never lie when I said this. I love you with all of my heart, and YOU give me a reason to keep fighting bad and coming out with good. I promise I will never leave you willing. I will fight until my very last painful breath to stay here by your side. I will never let you believe anything otherwise. Bones...Temperance....Tempe, I am in love with you."

He finished his speech and watched her tears fall from her eyes as she processed his words. He held onto her waist as she stared into his chocolate pools searching to find the words to match her joy. Coming up empty, she simply said, "I am in love with you too Seeley."

His face could have lit up a thousand cities as he pulled her close and their lips slowly met into a long and sweet kiss solidifying all feelings.

Suddenly his phone rang.

"Can't they leave me alone for just a little while?" he muttered angrily.

"Booth." he said roughly into the speaker.

"A body, okay where?...4324 Olivetti Road, okay....Disaster blow up site?....Fire department great...We will be there in a half to an hour maximum. Thanks Charlie."

"Case time?" Bones asked regrettably.

"Yeah, time to go do what we do best." he said as he turned to pick up the already repacked basket. "Let's go, you gotta put on your gum boots."

And they left hand in hand while they descended back down the stairs.

----Booth pulled up in front of the stainless steel gates guarding the explosion site. The word disaster did not even begin to cover the magnitude of the scene. It felt like sub-zero all over again, and made the pair almost want to break down into tears. Hordes of limbs and battered bodies were being stockpiled off site. All wanting to be claimed, all wanting to be recognized, all needing to be laid to rest.

Booth fought the urge to throw up when a man with a pale face walked past him carrying the leg of an individual. It was too much to bear, and the smell was horrific. Bones felt lightheaded. Out of all of the disasters she has been a part of, this was up there as probably the most gruesome. There were reasons she didn't deal in flesh, and having to face a nameless battered victims in this state was the main one. Slowly the two walked forward through the gates, Booth flashed his badge, and Bones continued forward.

When they reached the outer skirts of the wreckage they stopped and watched. It felt as if it were unreal. Like they were just appearing in a well-enacted documentary, like at any moment someone would yell cut. But it never came. The bodies were still being found, the smoke was still elating itself into the air, the smell continued to burn the insides of their noses, and the faces of the fire department teams were still being engrained into the deepest part of their memories.

Blood was the thing Booth would remember most. There were puddles of it everywhere. In any direction his terrified eyes darted, there was more of it. It encircled him in ways he never thought possible. Dripping, soaking, searching for someone to attach to was how it was. Seeley Booth has been in positions to feel the power of blood, to see the spray of blood, to experience the washing of blood; but today he felt blood at it its worst state- sitting idle.

Eyes were the thing Brennan would remember most. She has never been one to take much heed in reading someone, but today you didn't need to be a mastermind to feel what the souls were crying through hollow eyes. Tears were sober against the iris for the senses knowing the place was not here to cry. The pupils were dilated wide and unafixiated on any particular object or person. No one would address each other pupil to pupil for fear of breaking down. They only continued to work hoping it would enough to restore some sense of holiness in this evil act.

Booth lowered his head and said a prayer. Brennan listened to the words his mouth produced and for once in her life she agreed with them. Then they moved closer to the site and stopped a man who appeared to be in charge.

"Excuse me sir, I am Special Agent Seeley Booth and this is my partner Dr. Temperance Brennan. We were sent here by the FBI. I was wondering if you had any idea as to where we were needed." Booth asked kindly.

The man looked his way and up and down his attire. He smiled lightly at Booth's demeanor and simply said, "Yes I do, Agent Booth. But I think you should change first. This is only the beginning, and what we need you to see, could possibly ruin that nice suit of yours."

"Thanks, for the heads up sir. Where can I do that?"

"Just go back to the front and take a left. You will see a truck. Show your badge and ask for a jumper. They'll size you and then meet us back here."

"Thank you sir. Bones I'll be right back." Booth said as he turned in the direction of his destination.

"Okay, Booth. We'll wait." she responded.

She watched him walk off and then sighed as she brought her attention down to her feet.

"So, how long?" the man asked.

"Excuse me?" she asked back.

"How long have you two been together?" he replied with a faint smile.

She smiled back and said, "Four years almost five."

"Well, he must feel very lucky to have found someone like you."

"He must." she gave back sincerely.

"This body I am going to show you...I don't know...I just...It looks as if it is something straight out of a horror movie or something!"

"Really? In what way sir?"

"In every way. I have never...I cannot even verbalize how horrible...It had to have been a murder, Dr. Brennan. I have been in the department for 36 years. I know what a fire can do to someone! That was not because of the explosion! I am no forensic expert, but I do know that you can't have a body that mutilated because of a type of arson!" he said determinedly.

"You are suggesting arson?"

"Absolutely! No gas leak could have done that!" he said as he threw his hand gestures toward the wreckage.

"I understand you reasoning."

"Thank you." he said as he repeated her action of staring at his feet.

"I...um" Brennan stuttered trying to figure out what Booth would say to cheer him up. "I...uh...I'm sorry, sir." she finished sincerely.

He looked up with tear stained eyes.

"For what, Dr, Brennan?"

"For you having to deal with this. I only imagine how difficult it must be for you. I realize you have been the fire department almost your whole career, but it never makes it any less painful. Right?" she said with a sweet voice.

"Right. How did you know?"

"I am a forensic anthropologist. I have seen my fair share of disasters. With my job, I have to help identify the lost...the fallen...the victims..." she started getting glossy eyed herself."I tell myself to detach emotionally but, uh..."

"It never happens?" he offered.

"Not really. Distancing yourself is a state of mind sure...but subconsciously, when your body scientifically deals with trauma that you can't stand to deal with consciously, it...It just..."

"It haunts. I know. 36 years of the smell of burning human beings. I got it."

"Haunting was a stretch from what I was going to say, but in perspective yes. It's a haunting feeling."

The two shared a moment of comfortable silence in the stance of understanding each other. And then Booth was back.

"Hey, I'm ready. What I miss?"

"Nothing, Booth. Let's go."

The three started up the mound of debris in the direction of the victim. Booth understood and was grateful to the man that said to put his jumper on. They were literally knee-deep in grotesque colored liquids mixed with blood and rubble. It took all of his will-power to not wretch with every step he took. He would never again underestimate the aftermath of an explosion after being a part of this.

Bones continued pushing through the surrounding debris and remembered her conversation with the man earlier. In some ways she felt sorry for him. He was only a fire marshal; he had no business dealing in the experience of murder and gore. It was her job, and however she was proud of it, she was also conceding silently that these were the times that her job drained her. With that final thought, her foot got caught in something.

"Oh, crap!" she said gruffly under her breath.

"Bones, what's the matter?" Booth asked with a concerned face.

"My foot is stuck!" she said while bending over to try and release it.

"Here let me help. Hey sir, stop! She's stuck!" he said as he went beside her to try and release her foot.

"Okay." he replied and waited.

"Bones! How did you get it like that?" he said while straightening her back up.

"I don't know."

"Well, hold still." he then got down on his knees, and jimmied her foot carefully from underneath the rubble holding it down.

"OW!" she yelled.

"I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?!"

"My foot being caught is what hurt me, not you." she said while rubbing it.

"Are you two ready?" the man called after them.

"Um, yeah. Let's go Booth. Thank you." she said and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Anytime." he replied with a cheeky smile.

They continued up and over, and down and under, around and through for what seemed like hours but only turned into being about twenty minutes.

"Okay," the man said as he stopped."Right up here, is probably...the scariest sight I have ever seen in my entire life. If you don't mind, I want to stay here. I will wait for you."

They both nodded and continued up. After a few more feet and a couple of stumbles they stopped dead in their tracks.

"Booth..." Brennan almost squeaked as she started to walk into his chest.

He didn't respond. He couldn't. They were staring at a body beyond all bodies.

"Booth?" Brennan asked again pushing her back further into his chest.

He only stood where he was. He felt all color drain from his face and shivers dart through his spine. The only reason he was not running, was because of Bones, who he just realized was trying to talk to him.

"Booth?" she asked again much more quietly.

"Bones. I...I don't...it is-"

"Everything the man described it to be."

"It almost looks..."

"Satanic?"

"Something evil like that."

Neither moved they only stared.

The setting alone was enough to have all of hair on the back of your neck stand up. It was on a concrete slab stained entirely with blood probably from the victim except a small jagged path leading to body itself. Debris was strategically cleared in a ten feet circle from the center and from where they were standing, they could see an arm draping over some stainless steel. The body was strapped down with black barbed wire. And the barbed wire was hyper-extended into a shape resembling a poorly done pentagram.

"Dear, God." Booth whispered as Bones left his chest to begin her slow walk down the open pathway. Booth didn't let her get far before he sprinted behind her.

Once they were standing above the remains they both sucked in a breath and looked in opposite directions. It was too much to take in at one time. Bones turned around and put her face in Booth chest once again. He wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes.

*It really is bad, when even Bones can't take it.* he thought.

"Booth..." she whispered.

"Yes, Bones?" he whispered back.

"I need a minute before I turn back around."

"Take as long as you need." he said as he wrapped his arms tighter around her and placed his chin on her bowed head.

After a few minutes Bones picked her head up, and nodded silently to Booth. He let go and she got out her tape recorder.

"The victim is female, approximately 5'7, her age range lies between 18 and 24, and race is Caucasian. She has suffered multiple injuries to her arms and legs. A long incision has been made to the chest area and resewn together. A..."Bones paused as she nearly felt faint.

"Bones, do you need to stop?" Booth asked while grabbing her arms.

"NO...Let me do this..." she asked pleading in her eyes.

He nodded reluctantly and swallowed the vomit coming up into the back of his on throat.

"A HUMAN heart has been...has been daggered in the center. Her skull...Her skull has been removed of all flesh and a gunshot wound is clearly visible. I will be having the remains transported back to Jeffersonian for further examination."

She shut the recorder off, and dropped it to her side as if it were something too heavy to fight it to stay upwards. And if this was all not enough Booth found something else.

"Bones! Oh my god. That can't be...It can't be...NO! IT shouldn't be..."

"Booth what? Why are you rambling?" she asked moving up to where he was.

He pointed to the letter and she came over to what it said.

_"Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin"_ was all it wrote.

"Booth I don't understand."

He didn't acknowledge her question. He only said what was running through his mind.

"He's back."

------------------

AN I want to clarify this now...Mene mene tekel Upharisin is promounced Maenae Maenae tekel Up-harsin...basically how it looks. Please review.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey everyone I'm back. First off, thanks for the rave reviews! It put a huge smile on my face! **Ptera,** I am thanking your for the advice. YUM! David Boreanaz in nothing but his skivvies. Every person's walking wet dream...ahhh. SLAP! Snapping out of it. lol Here is the next installment. Please enjoy, leave a comment. Tell me what ou think, and don't be afaid to offer advice. Lke I wish you had more so and so moments... or I wish there were hotter scenes or whatever. I will try and accomadate what my readers feel is good. Can't promise anything, but I do promise to give it a shot.

Anyway, here she blows! Enjoy y'all and I'll be looking forward to your reviews!

Angsty ;-)

Chapter 2: Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin

* * *

Cam slid her ID card through the holster and stepped onto the platform in a rather chipper mood. That was until she saw Angela slumped over her keyboard working. Suddenly bewildered by this, she decided to ask what was wrong. She knew that she still had a lot to learn about this team and exactly how deep the bond they carry with each other goes, but she knew Angela well enough to know that her friend was indeed hurting.

"Hey." she said and sat on the edge of the table.

Angela jumped a little but settled down when she saw Cam.

"Hey, you kinda scared me. I thought you were that new intern guy." she said and then brought her eyes back to the screen.

"Well, since the last time I checked myself in the mirror, I wasn't a new intern guy. But I guess you never know. Maybe today I woke up in _THE TWILIGHT ZONE_." she said with a chuckle that was half heartedly met by Angela.

"Yeah, maybe me too." Angela gave back.

Cam studied her a moment.

"Ange, what's wrong? You aren't usually like this."

Angela stopped typing and hung her head.

"It's just..." she stopped and sighed.

"Hodgins?" Cam offered.

Angela met her eyes willing herself to not start balling.

"Yeah, Cam. It's been three months. THREE MONTHS! We have barely said anything to each other. I can't take it."

Cam offered a sincere smile.

"You need a hug?" she said softly.

Angela's head shot up to her boss. Cam was really showing she cared. It made Angela feel great, for the first time that morning.

"If you wouldn't mind." she answered sheepishly.

"Ah...come here." she said and enveloped her into a tight embrace filled with understanding.

After a few moments they pulled apart.

"Thank you. I really..."

"Don't mention it. I've been through Broken-Heart's Ville a few times myself. I know that look in someone's eye when they just need to hold on to something stronger than themselves." Cam replied with a soft smile. And then her phone rang.

"Dr. Saroyan...hey Boo-...what?...where?...okay...yeah...no I'll be here...have them pack all evi-...of course she is...uh-huh...no I'm sure...Okay well we will be ready. At least we won't be bored anymo-...you want me to do what?...Tell Hodgins to save the long lecture? Why?...I'm sure I will...yeah bye."

"Why would he tell you to tell Hodgins to save us all the long lecture?" Angela asked genuinely puzzled.

"He said we'll know when the body arrives. Okay so let's gather everybody up. Call Sweets and tell him to get a move on. We got an early case and he needs to be here in thirty to forty five!" Cam called out as she was walking back down the stairs.

"Hey...Cam?" Angela asked apprehensively.

At that she turned around.

"Yeah?"

"I was wrong about you."

Cam at that moment didn't know if she should be insulted or flattered so she waited for a clarification.

"You really are an amazing friend. And I think it's high time everyone trusted you as such." Angel said in a friendly but serious voice.

"I would appreciate that." she said matching her tone.

And then Cam walked toward her office with a big smile on her face.

* * *

"I stand and watch as they scramble."

A tall man dressed in black says into a tape recorder. He is standing beneath an awning blanketing him in a dark shadow while watching as Booth and Brennan walk to their SUV away from the horrible crime scene.

"I feel satisfied to his reaction through my words."

The man sinks further into his shadowed spot as he watched his nemesis solemnly get into his car.

"The fire did its job. The woman died correctly. The game has begun."

The shadowed man slowly follows with his eyes the moving car.

"I will pay him back for the pain he caused me… _slowly_. One person at a time."

And with that he shut the tape recorder off, and slinked even further into his shadows. In the blink of an eye...he was gone.

* * *

The ride to the Jeffersonian remained quiet. Booth was lost in his thoughts, and for the first time, it annoyed Brennan. She was used to the two of them bickering about something by now. But today was different. Booth was different. And it concerned her. Especially after his quiet comment about someone being back. For the life of her she couldn't guess who it was.

"Booth?" she asked carefully.

He visibly jolted out of his thoughts.

"Yeah...Bones?" he said trying to look innocent.

"You know what." she said back.

"No."

That made her even more annoyed. Booth never eluded anything. At least anything of this nature.

"Seeley Booth!"

He sunk his shoulders and dropped one hand off of the steering wheel.

"Okay, Bones. I know what." he glanced to his right to see almost her entire body facing him with an irritated expression, carrying hiked eyebrows.

"Well?"

"Well...I don't know where to begin."

"Okay, well usually this is where you tell me to begin from the beginning."

"Did you just try to make a joke?"

"Don't tango around the question, Seeley, answer it."

"It's dance around, Bones. Not tango."

"Same difference, and stop doing it!"

"Okay!...Alright. Fine." he said as he pulled into a parking spot outside the Jeffersonian.

Brennan made no attempt to move. She was going to get him to answer her before they left this car. Booth turned off the car and sighed. Letting his pupils rest on a post avoiding eye contact purposefully.

"A long time ago, I had a case and...and well...it didn't go very well."

"Okay. I fail to see the relevance."

"Would you let me finish?" he said while bringing his eyes to hers over his Ray Ban's.

"Sorry."

"It didn't go well, because I screwed up." Booth paused as he let the memories flood through his mind. It was a traumatizing experience.

"The body...it...it... was horribly mutilated. I had never seen anything like it." his eyes slightly glazed over at the memory.

"The...blood. There was too much of it. I had never been on a case that involved _so_ much. I literally had to not eat a few days, because whenever I did the images flooded my memory and I would throw up."

"That's horrible. What did it look like?" she said softly.

He took in a breath as the images flooded his memory again.

"The woman she…she was decapitated. And she had her limbs removed. If that's not bad enough, she was strung up by electrical cords and…and…" he took another cleansing breath. "And all of it was in pieces," he said with a gulp. "and attached to a wall. Creating some sort of sick pentagram." Booth swallowed loudly and Bones could have sworn he turned green.

She stared at him, trying imagine what this scene might have looked like in person. She herself has seen the worst of everybody, but that was by-far one of the most bloody and violent.

"I'm sorry you had to see and be a part of that." she conceded in a quiet, soothing voice.

"Don't be, Bones. The world is a cruel and hateful place. Unfortunately, now I had to see it once again at its worst… but I guess _that is_ my job."

She nodded solemnly knowing full-well that it bothered him more than he was saying.

"Well...I was still new to FBI work. I wasn't even a real agent yet. I was working with a guy named Sonja Verdimyer. I was basically his PA. Kinda like Charlie is for me. Always searching for things. Doing the less important paperwork. You know that kind of stuff. I was told I was an Agent in training, but I was more of a Scuttle Butt." He said with impish grin and slight chuckle.

"Uh-huh" she nodded, although not entirely sure she knew what a 'Scuttle Butt' meant.

"Well...the case went cold." he said dejectedly.

"I see."

"But, being the person I am, I reopened it to take a personal look at it."

"Okay." She replied slowly, not understanding where he was going with this.

"And well, there was a lot of stuff that didn't make sense. Too much to even list. So I questioned Sonja about it. He was surprised, he took a good look at it himself and agreed with me. So we took it to our supervisor..."

"And he discounted you, right?"

"Right."

"But you wouldn't go down without a fight."

"Right."

"So you raised hell, as they say and you..." she began to drone in a slightly bored tone while twirling her hand as example.

"Let me say how it happened. I indeed questioned him. And he immediately got defensive and started threatening to take my badge. So reluctantly, I backed down to his face. As soon as I was alone though, I contacted _his _supervisor."

"How?" she asked with suspicious interest.

"I had my ways. Anyway, I took my evidence into his office and presented my findings. He agreed it to be suspicious, so he came with me to confront him."

"Uh-uh."

"Well, next isn't so pretty."

Brennan sat expectantly as she watched him slowly remove his sun glasses and stare at them. After a minute she started to get nervous.

"What happened?" she asked softly.

He continued to stare and then opened his mouth talking in a voice she had never heard from him before.

"I had never been truly religious until that day. I prayed with everything in me to get me out of there."

He picked his eyes up and focused them forward. She listened as he talked to the post in front of them.

"We walked into his office and he wasn't there. Everything in the room was wrecked. Things were turned over, papers were shredded, plaques ripped from the wall...it was as if someone had been looking for something, or trying to destroy any line of evidence we would be able to fnid.. Which of course only solidified our belief that he was the murderer."

He paused and she looked upon a truly frightened man. Instinctively she intertwined her fingers in his and flinched when she noticed how clammy they had become. He didn't even acknowledge it, which made her become scared as well. He was lost in a memory at the moment.

"We searched for any traces of where he could have gone. We found nothing. And at that point being the gung hoe greenhorn I let myself be, I was ready to find the guy and prosecute his sorry ass. I never would have guessed...I never would have guessed what we were getting into. Sonja...Sonja cut out. He had had enough. The case was grueling and the guy nearly booted him out of his job and now he was gone and now we had to find him and yada yada...Sonja was gun shy. He was never one to pick a fight. Me on the other hand...well you how I am." he paused again to let a face Brennan rarely saw cross him. One of pure anger.

"I didn't want him to get away with what he did. Up until then, I had seen enough people get away with wrong." he said with a vengeful twinge and she knew what he was implying. "But_ I_ called that wrong. I should have walked away."

He hung his head and breathed deep.

"I found him. All by myself, but I found him three weeks later. I notified my supervisor, and went out alone. Now I know I was being stupid I should have waited for back up but... it doesn't matter. I got to the warehouse and immediately knew something was wrong. Call it intuition, call it discernment, call it whatever. But I knew something was wrong._ EVILLY _wrong. I sneaked along the side of the building, and peered through the windows. Everything seemed normal, but something burning inside me said different. I went with my gut and slinked inside. Slowly I walked into the appearing abandoned building. I saw shadows from the corner of my eye darting this way and that but when I would turn to face them...the appearance was normal again. It was if I was just going nuts!" he stopped to catch his breath and continued, "I led myself with my gun down a dark hall. A hall I will never forget until the day I die. I felt...I felt as if something was choking me...like ...like... with every breath it would become tighter sucking my life out...I tried to break free but I couldn't! And then after I shouted JESUS it was gone. I lay shaking on the ground not knowing what to do. My instincts said run..My stubborn side said stay. I decided stay."

Brennan literally felt like her blood had cooled at his story. She may not believe in this stuff, but he seemed as if he were actually telling the truth. That confused her. There is no such thing as ghosts and ghouls and monsters, but then why was he able to describe one so vividly and with such truthful fear?

"I got up slowly and then...I couldn't believe my eyes."

"What?" Brennan asked breathless.

He brought his face to hers with an expression Bones had only seen a handful of times. This side of Booth was one unfamiliar to her. He was never a vulnerable person; he was always strong and in control. But as of right now, he was vulnerable and scared out of his mind.

"I saw...I saw a demon Bones."

She sat in disbelief.

"A ... demon?"

"Yeah." he said keeping his same expression.

"How... and... what and where and...why?" she stuttered out.

"I don't know but it stared straight at me."

"Okay Booth. I think it's time we put this all in perspective for a second. Okay?" Brennan tried to reason with her hypercritical tone.

"Do we have to?" he said becoming agitated.

"Yes."

"No! We don't. I know what I saw."

"Booth..." she started."Look okay, I know what you think you saw, and I know you believe it but they don't..."

"DON'T TELL ME THEY DON'T EXIST, BONES!"

"BUT THEY DON'T!!"

"I know they do!"

"Oh really!? Well prove it!"

"Okay. After I was able to leave with my supervisor in handcuffs, he said four words to me: Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin."

"WHAT DOES A FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROVE?" she shrieked.

"Everything!"

"Oh forget it!" she said while opening the car door but Booth's hand grabbing her arm as if hanging on for dear life stopped her.

"When I got home that night..." he said quietly staring directly into her blue eyes. "…the same words were written on my wall...in blood." he said with eyes pleading for her to believe him.

"Booth...I believe you're terrified. And heck, I even believe YOU believe you're telling the truth. But facts are facts they don't exist."

"Then why did it disappear before me?"

"The blood or the image?"

"Both!"

"I don't know. Okay? Let's just get inside. We can discuss it later."

Booth hung his head as she angrily opened the door and walked in the direction of the entrance. He sighed and opened the door himself. After closing it however, he felt an inexplicable grind in his stomach that made him hold onto the side of the car. He shook his head and mumbled under breath before catching up with his partner.

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Cam stood in awe over the body laying on her examination table. Well, she actually couldn't decide if it was awe, disgust, amazement, or somewhere in between. This was worse than any other body she had ever seen.

Just as her mind was quickly trying to process what her eyes saw, Angela cam up the steps.

"Okay, Cam, Sweets just got here. Now I know, I did say 30 to 45 but..." she paused when she met the person or former person on the table. "What the...Oh my...is it...how...uh...um...Cam?" she asked while stuttering through her words.

Cam just lifted her eyes and met Angela's with a look that was unreadable.

Just then Hodgins came up the steps and absentmindedly stood next to Angela.

"Holy...okay...um..." he said then stopped letting his eyes wander up and down the body. "Any chance I can...uh...scavenge for particulates?"

Cam nodded and then ripped off her gloves as she started down the steps, leaving Angela confused.

"Hodgins?" she asked.

"Yeah?" he answered.

She stared at the man she loved, for a long smoldering minute. Neither tearing their eyes from each other. Neither wanting it to end. But then Angela broke the connection, regrettably.

"I...uh...I need to tell you what Booth told Cam to tell you but she is...uh...yeah she is unavailable right now obviously. He said save the long lecture."

"Ooookay. Why would he say that?" he asked confused.

"Don't ask me, ask him." she said while pointing up at the partners who just made it outside the glass doors and stopped to talk to each other.

"Wonder what they're talking about." Hodgins stated trying to fill the awkwardness between them.

"Honestly...don't know don't care." she said with a twinge of extreme sadness.

Hodgins hung his head silently as she walked off platform herself.

* * *

"Bones..." Booth started and then stopped.

She turned around quickly and looked into his unsure eyes and immediately felt guilty. He had been entirely open and vulnerable with her and she had crushed him. She knew she hurt him, and it hurt her.

"Booth look...I'm sorry I shot you down like that. I don't believe in that stuff though. If you can prove it to me, for real...we will talk. But until then...let's drop it okay?"

"But, Bones, it is not that simple.." he stopped and hung his head. She watched him and didn't respond. "Bones...I'm...scared." he said as he walked away from the glass doors.

She watched him walk a little and then followed as he went and sat on a chair.

She sat next to him and waited for him to continue.

"Bones...I can't do this again. I know you don't believe in it, but you weren't there! You didn't see the inset yellow eyes burning into me, the gigantic blacker then any black possible wings hovering around him like they could stretch the length of the building. You didn't smell the smell of burning death in a constant wave of horror and torture and DEATH...you didn't feel the feeling of hopelessness, like even if I wanted to go I couldn't. He had me. I felt like my life was over just by being in his presence! I can't...I can't... can't go through this without knowing you believe me. I can't go home waiting for something to take me. I can't face this demon again Bones. I just can't. Not without you." he was in tears by the time he was finished and she was on the edge of them herself.

She knew rationally this was all ridiculous. But something deep inside said different. A side that somewhat felt as if it were waking up. Her gut feeling? Maybe, she didn't know and really didn't care. Booth was terrified. Absolutely petrified. She had to believe. At least with her words. She had to make him feel secure again.

"I...believe you, Booth. I believe you." she said apprehensively.

"No you don't." he muttered and focused his eyes on the floor. "You are only saying that cuz you're taking pitty on me."

"NO!" she almost yelled which brought his eyes to hers. "I wouldn't do that to you, Booth. I know you hate that. I believe you saw something. I am still not comfortable calling it a demon, but I believe you wouldn't be this scared if it wasn't something. YOU are never this scared and when you are...well I guess I need to listen." she said as she put her fingers underneath his chin.

He stared long and hard into her beautiful eyes and he saw she was telling the truth. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers in a long kiss of forgiveness and understanding. When they broke away, Brennan noticed his face was still frightened but decided to let it go. Booth needed time to process this. As did she.

"We need to get inside." he whispered.

"Yeah, let's go they are going to send for a search party soon." she said trying to lighten his mood. When it didn't, she just followed and laced her fingers in his hoping that would do it. It did.

* * *

Sweets came into Cam's office rather tired from having to stay up all night. His book was going well, but it did indeed bother him that getting info out of his two favorite patients was at times parallel to pulling teeth out of an alligator. He immediately noticed the quietness in her usually boisterous room. Her supposed office was more of a compromisable desk, and high-end computer with an exam table, and jars to hold bodily organs while searching for cause of death. He would enlighten everyone into the knowledge that her ""office"" was his least favorite room in the Medico-Legal Lab.

"Cam?" he asked while looking around. At first he saw nothing but then in the corner between a couple of small filing cabinets she sat with her hands on her eyes rubbing furiously as if to wipe a deadly poison from its tear ducts. He whispered her name again and she looked up to him with red-rimmed eyes. He was immediately concerned and tried to come beside her but she held a hand firmly in the air to stop him.

"I am fine, Sweets. Okay I don't need you or anyone else to come to my rescue, just because I happen to take a negative effect from the new victim." she said with determined eyes that made him take a firm step back.

"I just thought you might need a friend, Cam. You looked upset." He said with softly with an underlying anger not well hidden.

She chuckled and shook her head while shifting her gaze to the lab itself outside her walls.

"When is it enough?" she asked softly.

He was slightly confused but the same time intrigued. He let the latter take over.

"When is what enough?"

"Murder. Hatred. Deceit. Giving and NO getting. Living and still dying slowly inside. When is it enough? Where do we go to be able to say 'Here! I am safe here!'? I don't understand why life has to be SO horrible. Why we have to fear every twist and every turn because someone is standing there ready with a weapon to smack you out of your spot! IT ISN'T FAIR! That poor girl I am sure has never done ANYTHING to deserve such a horrific end! And you know Sweets..." she paused as she let another tear stripe her face. "I sometimes wonder why I even began this. This job only reminds you even more of how helpless you are against the dark forces. I just..."she stopped as she let more tears fall and Sweets stepped back in front of her.

"Hey," he said softly. She didn't look up so he knelt in front of her. "Cam, look at me, please." he said with a tender voice which caused her eyes to meet his for the first time in these circumstances.

"You are right. This life totally sucks at times. And yeah, the bodies that pour in and out of here serve as a grave reminder of how sucke it all really is. But you my dear, are forgetting something." he paused for dramatic effect and nearly laughed when he saw her put-off face by him calling her dear. "We are the light that is supposed to shine in the darkness of these horrible situations. We bring the families of the lost, the murdered, the hated, the deceived...closure and most of all justice. Inside these walls we bring safety. We do what we do to help rid the world of one less perverted person sitting around a twist or a turn with a weapon. And yeah, you are awesomely right in that it isn't fair. And yeah, I am sure that the girl up there hasn't done anything to deserve this fate. But once again, we will shine the light in the darkness and reveal the truth to bring her justice and a better end."

After Sweets finished his speech, Cam was all out balling and stared deep into his liquid brown pools displaying that he was sincere in every word. She had never had anyone say this to her, and it touched a part of her soul that caused her throw her arms around his neck and give a thankful hug.

Getting the message of what she was trying to say, Sweets replied, "You're welcome."

* * *

Bones and Booth made their way up the platform stairs to find Hodgins alone pouring over the remains. This puzzled them both at where the rest of their friends were.

"Hey." Booth said noticing Hodgins' defeated look as he glanced his way.

"Hey. I haven't found much other than some soil samples and such. So I don't have anything for you right now." He said without keeping eye contact.

"Okay, well...Where is everyone?" he asked while Bones snapped on a pair of latex gloves.

"Don't really know. Angela just left when she saw you two talking outside the doors. Cam I think...I am not sure _what _got into her." he replied as he turned around to grab an examination tray. "Hello little one. What secrets do you have for me?" he asked the bug which made Booth squirm.

"You know Dr. Hodgins, that bug won't respond to you." Bones pointed as she leaned over the remains.

"Yeah Dr. B, I know." he said with a sarcastic twinge.

"I think the skull can be given to Angela immediately, for reconstruction. It has already been ridden of flesh so not much needed from it right now. Booth do you mind?" she asked as she grabbed a stainless steel platter.

"Do I mind what?" he asked obliviously.

"Do you mind taking the skull to Angela?"

Booth looked down at the skull and then back up to her with a disgusted face which made her chuckle.

"It is just a skull Booth. It isn't gonna bite you."

"But doesn't Angela come up here and get it?" he asked squeamishly.

"Seeley, take the skull." she said with a commanding tone.

"Seeley?" Hodgins piped up, suddenly interested.

"Can it Hodgins. Fine, give it here. But if I die from some disease or trip cuz' I am too clumsy to carry it or it..."

"Just GO!" she said laughing as he took it.

"Seeley?" Hodgins asked again a little quieter so only Brennan could hear but keeping adding a smirk.

"Yeah, Seeley. It IS his name." she said with challenging eyes.

"Sure it is. Sure it is." Hodgins replied bemused as he looked back down on the remains.

"Hodge. WORK!" she said laughing again.

They both continued to laugh as they went back to searching through the remains.

* * *

Booth strode through Angela's doors only to find her standing in the center of her dark office with a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other.

"Hey." he said apprehensively as he set the skull down.

She whipped around his way startled.

"Hey." she gave back while setting her clipboard down.

"Did I scare you?" he asked slightly amused.

She hiked her eyebrows to his apparent happiness at her reaction and replied coldly.

"No. As a matter of fact you did not."

Booth noticed what she was doing on her clipboard and let it go.

"Okay. Nice drawing." he commented. She looked down at it and sighed.

"Thanks. I uh...I was...I was trying to imagine…"

"Ange it's okay. You don't have to explain. I know you're hurting."

"GOD!" she exclaimed with a slap to her forehead. "You are the second person today...am I that bad at concealing it?" she said as she hung her head like a little girl.

Booth moved in front of her and wrapped his arms her around her shoulders. She rested her forehead on his shoulder and sniffed.

"Ange look. You aren't bad at it; you're just...out of practice."

"Meaning...I'm bad at it."

Booth thought about it for a second.

"Okay, you ARE bad at it. But listen to me..." She picked her head up."That isn't horrible. Okay? It just means you give more of yourself in a situation. So don't be so embarrassed of your drawing and how you cope with things."

She nodded and hugged him back.

"And you know what?"

"What?"

"Hodgins really missed out with seeing you in your real wedding dress."

"This is only a sketch Booth. This wouldn't even be what I would actually wear." she said as she picked up the drawing with one hand.

"I still think it's nice." he replied with a sincere smile.

"Yeah it would be...What have you got for me?" she asked as they dropped their arms.

"Well..." he said while turning his head toward the skull.

"YOU brought me the skull?"

"Yeah...Bones forced me too."

Angela laughed heartily at that.

"Oh my god THAT is hilarious." she said while picking it up and placing it on her pegs she uses to stand it in the right position. Booth glared at her.

"It isn't that funny, Angela."

"No, Booth it is. Trust me. It is." she said shaking her head and picking up another sketch pad.

"Whatever. Look I gotta go."

"See you later." she said while she got to work.

* * *

Cam walked back up the steps with a new sense of confidence within herself. She had never noticed how truly wonderful Sweets was. All this time she had viewed him as just the corny kid who was a big pain most of the time, but after that speech in her office she had to admit that she has respect for him. He was a kid, but one with a strong head on his shoulders and a wit suitable to talk his way in and out of situations. A commendable trait indeed to Cam.

Brennan looked up first when she heard the beeping of the platform's security holster. Immediately she picked up on the small suggestions from her appearance that she had just encountered a very emotional undertaking. But since Brennan was who she was, she didn't comment on it. She was on the platform to work and that is what will happen.

"Okay people. What have we got?" Cam asked as she put back on a pair of gloves.

"Not much so far." Bones replied. "She has tremendous amounts of lacerations to her arms and legs. Possibly done with some sort of razor blade. Carter?" she called.

"Razor blade? How can you tell?" Cam asked.

"The way the shaping of the cuts are. You see how they sit inlet in the skin rather than outlet and..." she struggled for a word.

"And gushy?" Hodgins offered.

"Okay and gushy with the blood and such. It is also possible that this was acted out post mortem. CARTER!" she yelled suddenly causing Cam and Hodgins to jump.

"Geez, Dr. B, give me a heart attack why don't ya." he said rubbing his chest to try and settle his rapid heart rate after her fright she gave him.

"I apologize, but I have not been able to find Carter."

"I am here, Dr. Brennan." Carter said while he made it up the platform.

"Carter! Where have you been?" she asked angrily.

"I'm sorry Dr. Brennan. But I had something I needed to take care of...with family."

"Well, if indeed you want this job, number one: you answer the first time I call and number two: you don't leave this platform unless I know why!" she said as she noticed some color drain from his face. "And by the way, it is a pleasure to finally meet you face to face."

He stood a little shell-shocked but recovered with her last sentence.

"Oh yes, Dr. Brennan. It is a pleasure." he extended his hand just as she turned back around.

Carter then dropped his hand slowly trying to cover his embarrassment.

"Now I need you to assist Dr. Saroyan in the cleaning of the bones." she said authoritatively. Carter came beside Cam and they sprang into action.

Booth came up the stairs and was pleased to note the team was back in full swing.

"Okay squints! What's to report?" he asked he grabbed for his notepad.

"Nothing." Cam said blankly.

Booth looked over at Bones who had her nose in a folder staring at the crime-scene folders.

"What'cha doin' Bones?" he asked as he stepped to where she was standing.

"I am reviewing the crime-scene photos." she said without expression which made Booth look at them too wondering what had her so engrossed.

"Do you notice how awful the pentagram looks?" she asked Booth who chuckled and replied, "Bones...it's a pentagram. The mark of the Devil. It is SUPPOSED to look awful. It's kinda the point."

"No, Booth. I knew that. I mean how it is done. If this were truly Satanist's act, the pentagram would be more...I don't how you say it really but...more stately? I guess."

Hodgins stepped on the other side of Bones and gasped at the sight.

"Okay I agree. This was not the handiwork of a Satanist." he said as he took the folder.

"Somehow, Hodge, that made me feel really uncomfortable." Booth said with a pinched face.

"Uncomfortable?" he asked confused.

"Yeah...the handiwork of a Satanist...it sees kinda complimentary."

"Booth, I am not condoning their real behavior I merely saying that THIS-" he threw his hands in the direction of the body barbed wire masterpiece in the pcture"-is not how they do it."

"Fine. Whatever helps you sleep at night." he said with snort "or not." he added silently.

"Back in the-" Hodgins was cut off by Booth once again.

"Don't start Hodgins. Okay? This is why I told Cam to tell you to save it. We don't need a lesson on cults and their origination...we need answers to solve a murder. Now give me the folder."

Hodgins glared at him and handed the folder over.

"Hey...um...guys" Cam asked with a panicky tone as Sweets finally made it up the steps.

"What Cam?" Brennan asked.

"Look at this." she said as she pointed down toward the body and the strange occurrence of hat she just found under it.

Brennan, Booth, Sweets and Hodgins rushed beside and gasped in almost tandem.

"OH GOD!" Sweets said as he put his hands over his face.

"Great" Booth said as he turned around and rubbed his face.

"What?" Angela asked as she came up the stairs replacing her badge on her jacket.

Booth looked her way with an exasperated expression.

"If stuff from past experiences and foreign languages and-" Booth said as Bones grabbed his arm to silence and nodded for Angela to come her way.

"What Sweetie? And why was Booth rambling and...Oh my god!" she exclaimed as she dropped the badge she had been struggling with putting back on.

"Since this case wasn't weird enough." Sweets said under his breath.

Cam piped in at that moment.

"It appears to be seared in using some sort of branding tool."

"How would the murderer know all of your names?" Carter asked genuinely confused.

"Carter, the Jeffersonian is the largest institution in the world. We are a world famous investigative team. Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan are known coast to coast for their ability to solve crimes, and Brennan also for her novels. Okay? It would NOT be THAT hard to know all of our names." Hodgins replied as if Carter was stupid.

"Oh… right."

"So what does this mean, Booth? Are we under lock down? Are we being threatened? Do we have to start traveling in pairs?" Angela asked as panic began to rise in her voice without discretion.

"Ange, honestly I don't know. We haven't had a murderer sear our names into the..."he swallowed to keep himself from vomit."Into the flesh of the victim before."

Angela took a step back and began breathing in and out heavily.

"Do you notice the arrangement of the names?" Sweets put in.

"Huh?" Brennan asked.

"The arrangement. I find it interesting. Angela and Hodgins each take a leg, Cam and Zack each take an arm, I am on the neck, and Booth and Brennan are on the upper and lower chest cavaties."

"Yeah, I see your reasoning, Sweets." Hodgins said.

"You do?" Brennan and Cam asked together.

"Yeah. Listen...Angela and I - legs."

Booth, Cam, Angela and Brennan stared at him blankly.

Sweets stepped in. "The moving force to our operation. They keep us walking as a team and moving fluently as a team. Since their breakup, we haven't been walking as efficiently. We kind of have...for lack of better example...been limping." he said confidently.

"That made no sense." Brennan said.

"Yeah it did. I can see that." Cam said receiving strange looks from the other three.

"Okay. Well moving on...Cam and Zack arms. The workers to our operations. They keep us all on task and the work getting done. Without Zack, it kinda puts us behind at times. Considering we have only been using interns replace him. No offense Carter."

"None taken" he responded.

"Okay, okay...I think I am getting it. Neck...you. You do all the brain work. You read behind the faces and settings and give your profiles of the murderers." Angela added in suddenly proud of herself.

"Right...but interestingly enough, all flesh missing from the skull."

"Which means... the answer is in the skull?" Booth asked catching on with Sweets' reasoning.

"Maybe. Or it could mean...next victim. I don't know for sure." he added sadly.

"Sweets no one will get you. We will make sure of it." Cam threw in to help ease the worries of the young doctor.

"Okay this leaves me and Bones-"

"Bones and me." Brennan corrected.

"Sorry- Bones and ME on the chest whatever you called it."

"Chest cavities Booth."

He threw her an irritated face and she chuckled.

"Well, Agent Booth, could you guess why you two were the chest."Sweets asked.

"Well isn't obvious. Me and Bones-"

"Bones and I." she said in a sing-songy voice just to annoy him.

"BONES AND I! are the center of the operation. It only makes sense we were at the center."

"But even beyond that. You two are the heart and soul to this operation. The backbone...the constant. Nothing comes between the two of you that you don't resolve and even when you are mad at each other, you dare anyone to touch, mess, or even THINK about harming the other one. It is quite admirable that the two of you are so close that even the largest of arguments don't sever you." Sweets said with admiration.

"Thank...you. I guess." Brennan replied.

"So the stabbing of the heart to the chest?" Booth asked.

"Ah...yes. I would tend to think that it meant, 'Since I can't harm you with an argument...I will harm you in your heart.' Or 'I was harmed in my heart so I will return the favor.' Something like that."

"Why do I feel a sudden twinge of fear?" Cam asked.

"Because we now have something to fear. If this murderer does indeed destroy one of the two of them...we will forever be at a standstill."

"Meaning?" Angela asked with the panic extremely evident.

"The team is over. The glue will be gone. We need both of them to keep us together...without them...we have no reason to work together."

"Okay, so as flattering as that is Sweets, I kinda feel used now." Booth said smoothing out his tie.

"You shouldn't. I was just stating a fact. You need Dr. Brennan just like she needs you. Without one, we don't have the other. For example...I don't mean to sound insensitive so don't bite my head off...but when you were dead for two weeks, she wasn't functioning at her normal rate. She was barely there. Going through the motions so to speak. Totally immersed with work but no work really getting done. She needs you to level her out. And when you can't be around her because she is off on one of her excavation trips you do the same. You two are like north and south poles. Without one we don't have the other. So if we lose one of you, we won't ever get anything done and we won't be a team anymore. That is what I mean."

Everybody stared at him for a few seconds and thought over his words. Brennan thought back on her reaction to Booth's faked death. It was true that she didn't get much done. In truth she couldn't without him. It felt wrong. Like with every passing moment a part of her was missing. She remembered going home every night and waiting with her cell phone on the coffee table just wanting him to call and say 'Hey, Bones! You want some Wong-Fu's?' She remembered the sting she felt in her heart everytime she said the word 'bones'. But most of all she remembered the dreams she would have of him holding her as she cried. Just like all of the other times. She knew Sweets was right. Without Booth, there was no Bones.

"I can see what you mean." she said softly.

Booth looked her slightly shocked she would admit that.

"Bones?" he asked hesitantly. She read his concern.

"No Booth, it's okay. I get what he is trying to say. I am not upset about it or anything it is just the truth. I do miss you when you aren't here and he's right also in that when I thought you were dead I couldn't do much because you were a part of almost every part of my life. So I understand what he means. It just says that we all have to be careful. This murderer is targeting us now. We need to slap the other's back."

"It's watch each other's back Bones." he said with a contented smile to her sweet words.

"Same difference." she said indignantly.

"Sure." the other six said with a chuckle and a nod.

She glared at all of them and then Hodgins piped up.

"Okay well, I can call for better security. I have a contact that owes me a favor. That is if Cam will allow it."

"Whatever as long as they don't mess with evidence and truly is better."

"Believe me they are." he said as he whipped out hi iPhone.

"And I originally came up here for my sketch pen. I forgot the one I use for reconstructions." Angela said and then excused herself.

"And I need to finish with the body. Carter hand me the camera. We need to take pictures of this."

"Yes Dr. Saroyan." Carter said and they continued with their job.

"And I..well I guess I observe and take notes for a profile." Sweets said taking a seat.

Bones and Booth looked at each other and smiled. Booth nodded his head in the direction of her office.

After they walked in, they stopped and Booth threw his arms around her neck to bring her in for a kiss.

"Bones...without YOU...there is no me. I just wanted to tell you that. I miss you when you are gone too. And I am so sorry I caused you so much pain during my fake death."

"It's okay. As long as you don't plan on making me go through that awful experience again anytime soon."

He rubbed his thumbs over her cheeks as he put her head in his hands.

"I don't. And that is a promise."

"Well then. I guess we're good." she said with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Yeah...we're good." they kissed again briefly and headed back towards the platform.

* * *

A man in all black stands closer than expected to the team he is slowly tearing apart. He watches intently as they scurry about their duties. A smile creeps across his face as he watches his main target sweep back into the room.

"How quaint he looks with his new flame. What a pitty she won't be able to save him. My forces are too strong. His day has come." he lets a laugh escape from his evilly darkened lips.

He crept closer to where they were expertly hiding in his shadow. Another laugh escapes at his ability to be so clever. He was so stupid to resist this power that was awaiting his grasp for so long. Always there yet always frowned upon. How stupid the rest are. It is all you need to bring your enemies to their knees.

He listened closely to the conversation going on just in front of him.

"Security is on their way. Should be here in about an hour."

"Very good. Maybe I can breathe a little easier"

"I doubt it. You never do."

"Bones, don't start."

"I am going to. Booth you look like you are just waiting for something to show up. Would you just calm down...And REALLY calm down?"

"Bones I can't do that. If I let my guard down, someone dies. I could never live with that."

"Booth...you don't have to live with anything. You need to go lay down in my office and relax and put this demon stuff to the back of your mind for at least a couple of hours."

"Fine, but-"

"No buts! Go."

"Fine."

The two separated and the man couldn't be happier. His job was just made even easier. Smiling to himself he disappeared and headed straight for the man of his vengeful quest's dreams.

* * *

Okay so I know absolutely everyone is like...Well what do the words mean? GAH!...be patient young grasshopper. And read the next chapter I post soon. Very soon. Hehe I'm such a tease. lol


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again! So here is the next chapter. I wante to say thanksand sorry to Ptera. thanks b/c you pointed something out that really did need to be fixed and sorry it was there in the first place. Like I said in the beginning, I wrote this story well over a year ago. So Some stuff might be rather disjointed, and it would help a lot if everyone was honest about what they didn't understand. Maybe I won't change the story, but I could offer explanation as a footnote or something. You never know it dpends on what it is. So hopefully, Ptera this helps you out a bit! **

**Shameless plug to her story...**

**"The Brothers in the House"- Dollhouse/Bones Xover. Rated M, be warned and it's under Bones fanfiction rated M. Fantastic story! Definately one of her best! I am not even a fan of Dollhouse, and I love it! **

**So Ptera, done my good deed for the day. lol Thanks for helping me with my cosmic quota. haha. **

**Onto my story, Warning again:**

**This chapter contains description of child abuse. If this offends, please skip over the pre-marked section (however much I discourage it because A-it took a hell of a long time to get perfect, and B-because it might hinder your ability to better understand both Booth and the story in the long run) or you could always discontinue reading, which would be awful cause Doi I already like warned out the Wazoo at the beginnng o this story. lol **

**Please enjoy, and don't be afraid to ask for clarification or something. I don't bite, I swear! I love to hear people thouts. Constructive criticizm makes for better writing!**

**"Good Night, and Good Luck" (lol couldn't help myself)**

**Angsty ;-)**

Chapter 3 :

THE DANGER IN THE PERIL

* * *

Booth stepped inside his Bones' office and took a good look around. He might have been in here only moments before, but he rarely ever takes into account the simplistic beauty she let's radiate from her shelves of vast knowledge. Each holding a new secret with another artifact or book of seasoned ingenuity.

He stepped forward and touched ever so gently the surface of her translucent desk. Such a difference to her personality. She was not see through, but more iridescent with a skip of brush lines here and there. At times he could tell dead on what she was thinking, well most times he could; but there were the times that she surprised him. Exposing another level of her ever so slightly, before he grasped between his fingers the opening and slowly tore it fully open. Dr. Temperance Brennan-the ever constant mystery; his Bones-the very amazing woman behind the girl.

He trailed a little further and settled his eyes on the same shelves that tempt his view from time to time. She had many things that cluttered its top. Novels with decorative labels boasting a breath-taking read. Thick books with solid covers screaming out with promise that the average person would require a ton of Tylenol to even get past the first chapter. Magazines with both of their faces and just her face on them. He thought back on the day that they were strong armed into posing together for a cover of People. It made him smile to think that he had been important enough to be needed to stand with her.

He let his fingers trace the photo with delicacy. Her face was beaming in that picture, as was his. The caption blared with all-caps "CRIME FIGHTING PHENOMON BONES AND BOOTH ON THE TRUE MEANING OF PARTNERSHIP" he had laughed at her scrunched face when she saw they used her nick-name. However, she had never objected.

Booth brought his eyes further down the rows of intricate memories and such, and slowly adjusted them on a memory he would never forget. A picture of himself, Parker, and Bones at the playground on the slide. Parker in Bones' lap at the front, and him with his arms around them both at the back. He almost went into tears at this memory. Parker absolutely adored Bones and he wished that someday, he could call her mom.

Sighing he turned to the couch behind him and thought back on all of the beautiful memories shared on that couch. Too many to even register. He sat on the chair opposite it and undid his shoes leaving them absent mindedly around the coffee-table. He took off his jacket and laid it on the back of _his_ couch and loosened his tie and a couple of buttons. Taking one last look at the outside lab swimming with busied individuals, he laid down and closed eyes.

He truly was tired. Most of his nights have been sleepless or filled with terrifying nightmares. So maybe being in the comfort of Bones' space will settle his thoughts long enough to get a firm head on his shoulders.

With another sigh, he let his sub-conscious over-take him.

* * *

Cam was in her office working on the toxicology screen when she heard a soft knock at her door. She looked up to see Carter standing with a large jar in his hands holding, what appeared to be, the lungs of the victim.

"Hello, Carter. Why are standing there with bodily organs in your hands?" she asked with a slightly disgusted face.

"I, uh, well...I found something significantly wrong with them that could explain cause of death." He stuttered, looking the picture perfect face of innocence.

"COD was already labeled a gunshot wound to frontal bone." Cam countered with irritation.

"Well, I think its wrong." he said, while also silently asking for permission to enter into her office, as he shifted the jar uncomfortably in his hands.

"Come in and show Me." she said in a business tone that made his skin crawl with nerves.

He opened the jar and carefully laid the lungs out on the stainless steel table. Using a prod he opened the small incision he had made to see inside of them. Cam examined them closely and realized what he had found.

"The air passages are closed off." she said matter-of-factly.

"Yes to dangerous constrictions. My guess is she had an asthma attack."

Cam looked up at him after he had said the sinful word in her friend's eyes and decided to give him a word for the wise.

"Never say 'guess' around Brennan. If you value your position, never say 'guess'."

He looked stunned but let it go as constructive criticism.

"Yes, Dr .Saroyan. Thank you."

She put her eyes back in the direction of the lungs and could see his reasoning. If the lungs had constricted due to an asthma attack, without proper handling she could be dead in as little as a few minutes.

"That is a good conclusion, Carter; but, we need to review the skull to verify if the bullet was then projected post-mortem."

Just as she said that her computers screen bleeped with the results to the tox screen. She snapped off her gloves and went to read it leaving Carter in his spot.

She clicked print and after it did she read what it revealed.

Looking up, she saw Carter's hopeful face to be right and then bolted past him toward the platform.

******************************************************************  
******************************************************************

"Asthma?" Brennan asked as she took the tox screen.

"Yes, she had Albuterol levels along with Pulmicort."

"Commonly used in the treating of an asthma patient." Brennan muttered.

"Uh-huh, plus the lungs showed signs that she had an asthma attack before death. The airways were constricted to dangerous proportions killing her in mere seconds after constriction."

"The question that remains then is 'why did she have an asthma attack'."

"I was getting to that. She had coccain in her system."

Brennan shifted to look at Cam with a face of confusion.

"Yeah, it says that here but the levels aren't real high."

"Don't have to be. A little bit could send her heart into a quicker speed making the lungs work harder to supply sufficient amounts of oxygen, thus causing her air passages to constrict due to the new stress. She had trouble already to breathe, any more need for breath sent her over the edge."

Brennan looked back at the page, sighing. "I see. So this suggests post mortem insertion of bullet?"

"Yes."

"Okay then. I need the skull."

"Angela is almost done with it." Hodgins said as he strode over to where they were standing.

"Did you find something Hodgins?" Brennan asked.

"Yes, and it supports your theory Cam. She had cotton fiber embedded into her neck."

"Meaning?" Cam asked.

"Meaning shortly before she died, a household rag had been near her neck/mouth area."

"Okay, I can see it. She had a rag placed over her mouth, covered in cocaine, which sent her into an asthma attack, killing her. Then to make sure she was dead, the murderer shot her in the forehead." Cam stated.

Brennan shot an irritated face at Cam. "Frontal bone." She corrected.

Cam rolled her eyes and Hodgin's says, "Brennan, same difference."

"No it's not, because…"

"Moving on." Cam said. "The heart that was daggered to her chest, was hers."

"Uh, that's sick." Hodgins grumbles.

Brennan had to agree with that. "So that was the reason for the long incision to her chest cavity?"

"Yes, so far that is what I have concluded. She isn't missing any other organs, so…"

"You're betting that it was strictly symbolic." Hodgins finished.

Cam nodded.

"We still need to figure out what the name searing means." Brennan pointed out.

Hodgins looked at her. "I thought Sweets pretty much cleared that up?"

"Well, mostly, but not entirely. He has been skulking around here this morning anyways. I think that head being scraped of flesh thing really freaked him out." Cam said with a slight chuckle. A chuckle filled only with fondness and not any malice. Hodgins picked up on it, but it went right over Bones' head.

She pulled a face. "I don't like the term 'skulking.' It implies suspicious behavior."

"Whatever, point is, why was the skull stripped of all of its flesh. And for that matter, its brains, eyeballs, tongue, and…" Hodgins started then was cut off.

"I get it Hodge, stop." Cam said with a shiver.

"Why do those words disgust you so much, Dr. Saroyan? You work with such things, on a day to day basis."

Cam sighed and grumbled. "Yes, Dr, Brennan, I know that. Thank you."

"But then…" She tried again and Hodgins took his turn to cut someone off.

"It doesn't matter, ask Booth later- back to the real question. What would make Sweets believe he was the next victim?"

Both Cam and Brennan looked at Bones, who merely scrunched her forward and shook her head. "I wouldn't know the answer to that. You both know I am not fond of psychology."

They then looked back at each other, running the thoughts over in their heads. Cam was the first to give up. "I got nothing." She says and sits in a chair as well.

Hodgins taps his fingers on the table for a few seconds and says. "Well maybe he's wrong." He offers.

Brennan snorts and Cam waits for Hodgins explanation.

"Maybe, it doesn't mean _next victim_ at all."

"How so? I mean the skull was entirely stripped of anything leaning towards life, so…" Cam trailed off.

"What if it has something to do with psychology after all!"

"I'm not following your reasoning, Dr. Hodgins." Brennan says.

"Ugh, think about it!" he sighs and walks of to the body still partially covered with flesh. He shoos away the people working to get any and all possible clues out of it, before motioning his coworkers to follow him over. "He was looking at it all wrong." He continues. "Yes, his reasoning behind why the names were placed where they were, were correct. But no, it didn't mean the thing he was implying!"

"Which was what?" Angela's voice now piped in having come into the conversation unnoticed. "I'm horribly confused."

"Where his reasoning was heading, either consciously or not, was that this murderer would strip the victims flesh of the certain body part to signify his choice for the next death. This would explain the branding, so we would know who to watch out for. What he _didn't_ consider is that his name was on the _neck_. Not the skull. If it were on _the skull_, it's a blatant calling card 'You're next!' but it _wasn't_! It was on the neck."

"Which means…" Cam asked.

"Which means, he is sending a message. A message saying, 'Your brain is not what you need to stop me.'"

Brennan squinted at him. "Well if all of that's true, and I mean a BIG if, Hodgins…why did he sear our names into the random body parts and what _do_ we need to stop him?"

Hodgins gulped. "I think he is taunting us, with the names. Trying to make us scared, disorient us. I mean come on guys, this person hit the nail square on its head for the explanation of how we cooperate with one another. Angela and me legs, Zack and Cam arms, Booth and Brennan chest, and Sweets head."

"But we concluded that Sweets was on the neck and not on the head." Brennan said.

Hodgins wanted to growl in frustration. "Yes, BU-UT it was referring to the mind. The murderer DIDN'T put it on the skull, because he DIDN'T want us to think he was killing him. He wanted to show he is smarter than him. Get it now, everyone? I don't think I can explain it any plainer!"

"Yes, I think we all do, Hodge." Cam said in place for Brennan and her scowling face.

Hodgins relaxed some. "But as far as what is actually needed to stop him, I haven't a damned clue."

"Well that's great." Angela mutters. "Now we have a psycho nipping at our heels, with no inkling as to _why_ he is, gets his jollies off of mutilating poor people, and decides for added bonus points he is going to scare the living shit out of the people who are after him." She snorts. "Why do I feel as if I am in some sort of corny horror movie?"

Everyone else nods. Hodgins gives a grim nod towards Sweets who had just come up the stairs.

"I know what the writing means." Sweets says shortly, obviously still shaken up about the morning.

"We know what the names mean." Cam says back, quirking an eyebrow at him.

He stops, "What?"

"Long story short, you aren't a target, dude. So rest easy, okay? I'm sure someone here will fill you in on all of it in a second. What does the letter mean?" Hodgins cuts in.

"Uh…it's" he stops and shakes his head to clear it. "Um…it's a dead language. One used back in Bible days. More specifically the days of the Persians when they were feuding with Israel. Even more specifically, it is the same words that were carved on the wall during that Bible story about the Persians capturing the Israelites and their spoils, and in an effort to insult their God and exalt their own they…."

"…took out the chalices that were considered Holy, and decided to drink from them. Thus, a hand appeared and wrote on the wall…" Cam continued.

"Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin…Number, number weight and division." Sweets finished.

The group became quiet. Surprisingly it was Angela who decided to speak first. "So…umm, I guess it's a warning. Right?"

Brennan sighed having mulled it over enough in her head.

"Yes, that seems plausible. However, fictional the story may be, it doesn't keep someone from copying it."

Sweets nodded. "That is, of course, if you don't believe in the story. Some do, Dr. Brennan. Take Dr. Saroyan and Agent Booth for example."

"I didn't mean to sound disrespectful to others religions, I was merely stating my opinion. I have seen many times where a murderer uses religious symbols or something close to that in their killings."

"I don't know what's more sick: the fact that I believe you or the fact that I know it's true." Angela says.

Brennan shakes her head at her friend. "What we need to figure out is what the words are referring to. Or more importantly, who the words are meant for."

Everyone nods and makes approving sounds. "Okay then, people, we have to get to work." Cam concluded.

As everyone was shuffling around, Brennan pulled Cam aside. "Have you seen, Carter? He keeps disappearing, and it is starting to piss me off."

"I haven't seen him since he brought me the lungs of the vic, Dr. Brennan, and presented his findings."

Brennan's jaw opened and closed. "_He_ brought you the information?"

"Yes, he did." She said slowly, before recognition dawned. "I'm sure it wasn't out of blatant disregard to what position he's applying for, Brennan. It was probably a more spur of the moment sort of thing."

"Spur of the moment? Like an _accident_? It's an accident that he removed, cut open, and diagnosed the state of this victim's lungs? I don't think so." She seethed.

Cam put her hands up in surrender. "Okay maybe not. But still cut him some slack. This is his first day on the job. If it helps, I'll run him through the rules again."

Brennan huffed and turned around leaving the platform.

"You know, sometimes I really hate my job." She mumbles to herself.

"_I hate it too."_ A voice said ominously to Cam. She turned around to talk to the person who spoke, but met dead air.

"Weird." She shrugged.

* * *

The area was sickly dark inlaid with scents of atrocious horrors tangible to the tongue and fist. The air was dank and heavy almost causing breathing to be a minority. Life was beyond a memory with each step he took in the damp darkness. He trudged forward in search of light and came into more shadows. With a hasty sigh he began to turn around but the way he came was darkening too.

Becoming panicked he started back straight hoping to find an end and only finding more path. With each step the air became heavier, the smell was more assaulting, and life became more of wish than an ever possibility. He began to run, and found that when he did this his breathing became too ragged to continue. The air was far too heavy to carry on in such a way.

He dropped to the ground in frustration and sheer exhaustion sprawling outward with his limbs in defeat to his bodily constrictions. He closed his eyes briefly and tried to slow his heart rate. But he had no such luck.

Suddenly a gut crunching twinge wrapped around his insides causing him to curl into fetal position from utter pain. With one hand he hit the ground to try and grasp a hold of something to sit himself upright. He shoved up off the ground and sat with his knees close to his chest and his free hand cradling them in effort to stifle the gut-wrenching uneasy feeling he had. Just as soon as he was sitting trying to stand another sensation took hold of him.

His hair stood up on end and his skin began to feel like it was crawling with tiny bugs torturing him into fear. Instinctively he shot up and began to try seeing what was near him. He could only feel a presence close to him assaulting his proximity. He looked from one direction to the next and saw nothing. But the sensations he was feeling did not improve they only got worse.

He then decided the only place he hadn't looked after he stood up...was up.

He felt his heart thump louder in his chest as he knew his fate. Slowly he lifted his eyes in the direction of the ceiling. Millimeter by millimeter his chin raised upwards, finally resting on the solid wood beam at the top expanding the length of the place he was in.

Suddenly to his left he heard a noise.

Jumping, he moved right. And searched with his brown iris's the vast uncertainty in that direction.

Then, to his right, he felt a nudge.

Yelping at the contact, he stepped left; and tried to register what touched him.

From behind, he felt a grip.

Screaming, he ran forward; trying to find the exit and only finding utter blackness.

He stopped short, trying to catch his breath but only breathing heavier. He began to panic. Was it real or was his psyche playing with him. His breathing slowed as did everything else around him. The silence that hung in the air was deafening. It made every nerve ending he had stand straight up.

Taking one step backwards, he felt nothing.

Taking a second step backwards, he felt nothing.

Taking third step backwards...he felt the presence of his enemy.

Stopping with all of his air in his lungs held within, he slowly began to look up again. Millimeter by millimeter, once again, finally seeing what he was running from.

All muscles in his body relaxed to the point of being immobile. He tried to scream but not a sound was heard from his trembling lips.

The face of his enemy was seared with blood and coal colored flesh all wrapped around a smile that could make a heart stop beating. The creatures arms matched the ugly colors of its' face but held distinct numbers etched within the skin that made the poor man feel faint. The monster stood 8 and 1/2 feet tall and a torn toga appearance draped around himself barely resting below the knees. The wings were drawn slickly behind but the tops were budded with a sharp point symbolizing a spear head. And the smell that radiated all but crawled out from within itself and gave you only one verdict and that is...death.

The poor man shook in the grasp the demon had on him. Desperately trying to free himself. He could say no words, he could move no muscle, he could only whimper and shake.

The demon forced his head down to look forward where he saw what appeared to be a memory.

Himself as a child in his house with his younger brother Jared.

He was sitting on the couch and his brother was sitting in front of him watching TV. He was ten at that time. They were all alone and he had a present sitting in his arms.

The memory flashed forward to the part where he watched his mother die by the hand of his father and then the poor man broke into tears.

He couldn't take it any longer he stood straighter with much struggle from the demon and said what was instinctive to say to make it go away.

With the first try, it didn't come out, the second try there was only breakout of his voice, the third time he screamed with every bit strength he could muster...

"JESUS!!!!!"

Everything went white.  
-

His trembling began to subside as he began to notice the distinct difference in the heaviness of the air. His eyes remained closed, fearful that his outer senses were deceiving him. But a cool breeze began to flow over him quietly cooing his name with each band that whipped his way.

He opened one eye and saw the brightness that overlaid the room. He opened the other and breathed a sigh of relief that the worst was over. He continued in his balled position on the floor until he heard footsteps. Then he lifted his head and again saw no one.

The panic began to attack his adrenaline but quickly was released. For some reason in this new realm he was currently drifting through he could not stay afraid.

The breeze continued slowly. It washed over him with sweet words of encouragement. He closed his eyes again to hear what the words were, but it was in a language he couldn't understand.

Carefully he began to stand again. Sweeping the area with his eyes as he did so. Nothing that was in his presence made him feel worried. He felt safe and warm, and oddly like he had been here before.

With an awkward step, he moved forward to where he had heard the original steps. He was struggling to keep his balance as he kept walking. And his muscles were still regaining control. But with each stumble he moved on ahead to where he had heard the steps before.

After walking for a minute he came upon a room with pictures hanging from the walls. He stepped forward to see what the pictures were and then gasped. They were of him. He looked closer and saw the scene around it.

Bones and Parker were in the frame as well. The three of them outside Parker's little league game. He moved over and saw another picture of himself. This time it was just Bones and him at the diner drinking coffee and laughing. He moved over again and this picture was once again of himself. This time it was him holding Parker for the very first time.

With more paces he moved from frame to frame trying to make sense of why he was seeing this. The next was when he was sworn in as a Special Agent. The next was when he had met Rebecca. After that, it was him getting his B.A. in Criminal Investigations. The next was him being given an award for outstanding service as an Army Ranger. The next was him trying to save one of his friends from an attack. After that, it was him getting kidnapped. After that, it was him enlisting in the Army.

He looked behind and stood still. Those were a lot of memories. Good and very bad. But the next several slowly ate at his heart.

His eyes rested on the frame of him graduating high school. Next to that one, him getting the MVP award. Next to that one, his first day of high school. After that, his first fist fight in Junior High. Next to that, his first day at a new school. After that, him walking out of the hospital with three broken ribs and a black eye with his grandpa and brother only five at the time, himself ten.

He sucked in a breath as the memories began to assault his thoughts. He knew what frame would be next and one by one tears fell from his eyes.

The next frame, held the picture that was last on the wall. It was him sitting on the cold laminate floor next to his mother who had just pulled the trigger on his father after he had delivered a killer blow to her abdomen. He was holding her hand pleading with her to not close her eyes to keep her promise and always be there. He remembers her words as she slipped between his tiny hands at the tender age of ten. "You're my good boy Seeley. You have always been my good boy. I Love you." And then she was gone.

Seeley Booth collapsed on the solid white floor in sobs. The memory was so tangible it constricted his breathing sometimes when he was alone. Especially on the anniversary. He cried and cried letting all the years of pinning it behind his pupils release.

Footsteps were heard again, and he sloppily wiped his tears as he quickly stood up on high alert and let his eyes dart in every which direction until finally finding what brought him in here from the start.

"Hello Seeley." the figure said.

His brown eyes drank in the sight he be held. The figure was beautiful in every sense of the word. She was so bright. She had big blue eyes that were so clear they were almost crystalline. Her hair was silken and a shimmery golden color that fell at elbow length and was tied behind her head in a golden rubber band. She wore around her hip a golden belt with a sword firmly attached to it. The gold that was being used in her appearance was so clear of imperfection it was transparent.

He stammered a response but she held her hand high to silence him.

"I know you are confused as to why you are here. Unfortunately, I will not be able to give full explanations as to why you have been having encounters with such creatures as you just did. I am only here to start the process of getting you ready."

He was astounded by how fluent her words were. It felt like silk draping over skin with each word. He was so entranced by the whole experience he spoke not a word.

"What you were looking at, were pictures of yourself at different crucial stages of your life so far. Each one holds a secret message that needs to escape. But we do not have time to go over them. Our time here is almost up. Your body cannot stand to stay here for long without permanently damaging you or killing you. This place is too pure. I am here with a message for you. One you will remember. Your message is you must dismount the hidden agony to release inner pain. If you fall into the trap of your heart's will, you will be deceived. Follow with your senses, not your eyes. And open up the best of us when the time is right. You will not understand most of what I just said. But you will remember every word. And when it is time, take action son. Follow the words of wisdom and remember the filings of truth. You have to go now."

"WAIT! I have a question!" he said as he got closer to her.

"I can allow one question."

"What are you?" he asked with a quizzical expression.

She smiled the most brilliant smile he had ever seen.

"I child, am an angel."

"An angel? Really?"

"Yes. You have to go now." she said with a sweet face.

He tried to object put everything was beginning to fade. He could no longer talk and he felt as if he was falling. Suddenly he felt like he had stopped.

* * *

Booth screamed as he flew forward up from his position on the couch.

He at first was unsure of where he was but then knew from the smell of his Bones' perfume. He was in her office and he had fallen asleep on her couch. He remembered his dream and felt like it was too real to even call it a dream.

It both scared and comforted him, leaving him with even more confusion inside. He thought on the frame of his mother first. He tried so hard to not think about it, but it was there… right there.

He let some tears escape his eyes just as Bones was rushing back in the room still death gripping a file.

"BOOTH! You screamed what...happened." she stopped when she saw him put his head in his hands. She threw down the file on her desk and sat next to him pulling him into her arms as he threw his own around her and buried his head into her neck crying uncontrollably.

She stroked through his spiky hair and whispered words of comfort to his ear. She didn't care if the whole lab could see. She didn't care what anyone had to say about it. She only cared that her Booth was broken, and she needed to repair him. Even if it could only be figuratively done.

When he began to settle she could feel his breathing even. She decided it was time to try and see if he would explain.

"Booth?" she whispered.

He sighed, and sat up.

"Bones, I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to ruin your shirt." he said with a twinge of panic that scared her.

"Seeley, stop. It's just a shirt, it can be replaced. Besides, I have others." she replied soothingly while she rubbed the underside of his chin with her thumb.

He looked down into his lap. She dropped her fingers and studied him for a few minutes before presenting the question again.

"Booth, do you want to talk about it."

He had closed his eyes but with her question he opened them staring down on his lap. He was going to say no, but the angel's words echoed to him as if she were in the room saying them again.

_"...you must dismount the hidden agony to release inner pain." _

He looked up at her with his puffy red eyes. She gasped when she saw his sweet and innocent face entirely unguarded and vulnerable. This is the second time that day that she had witnessed this forbidden part of him. Only this time, he wasn't holding anything back.

"I have to tell some things about myself Bones. I have to do it before it breaks me entirely."

She nodded.

"I would like you to be the person I share this with. May I do that?"

"Of course, Seeley. Take your time."

He nodded as he closed his eyes and then began.

"You have been told by Sweets, that his theory was that I was an abused child....he is right."

She nearly stopped breathing. Yes, she had thought on the possibility of Sweets being right in his theory, but no she had never actually considered it accurate. Her eyes welled up from feeling terribly awful for him. But she shed not one tear because she knew he didn't want sympathy, he wanted an ear.

"I grew up in a dumpee part of Pittsburg. Or at least, lived there for the first 12 years of my life. The first 10 with- with my parents." he stopped to suck in a breath. "We didn't have a lot of money, and the little money we did have my dad usually used. My mom kept a hidden stash to be able to buy food for us. This was when I was about 3..." he dropped his head and took a couple more breaths to stop himself from breaking down again.

"This was when I was about 3 and the beating had just begun. My mom shielded me from a lot of it. She told me to run to the safe place we had designed which was in the park, under the slide, near the old church she and I attended. I would hide there and bring my knees close to my chest and pray that it would be over and she would come and get me quickly and she would be alright. Some nights I had to wait there until morning, others I wasn't there long at all. But each had the same result. He would sober up and apologize and bring a gift and yada yada...sick _bastard._.." he muttered with clench fist and then released it. He squeezed his eyes closed for a full three seconds before relaxing some and continuing.

"Then one day my mom got pregnant with my brother Jared. She was happy about it… but not happy about it. With me she always talked about how nice it would be to have another sibling, but with my dad...he always..." his eyes began to swell and she instinctively grabbed a hold of is trembling hands.

"I was 4 and 1/2 by then. We had moved out of the small townhouse we were living in and were now living in an apartment - I think. It has been a long time, to really remember where we were. We moved a lot. A couple months after I turned 5, Jared was born. And we had to move again. My parents were split up for an entire year, and everything was going fine until...Until he showed up again." Booth stared at the wall behind Brennan's head, reliving internally the events of that night.

"He was drunk and she tried to make him leave; but he was too strong for her. Since I had turned 6, I decided I had to try and stop him. I got my power ranger toy and hit him as hard as I could in the back....he stumbled...I-I remember him shouting at me...I tried to run but he got a hold of my wrist and dragged me to the bedroom...." Booth let a couple tears fall again desperately trying to stay composed. Brennan also let a couple tears fall.

"When I woke up the next morning my mother was crying, my father was gone and Jared was asleep in his crib. He and I shared a room. She put her hands on my face...and she...and she said she was so sorry. She had tried to stop him, but he had slapped her to the side knocking her unconscious. I didn't say much for a few days and cried myself to sleep every night for two weeks. A lot of the time with my mom holding me and telling me that I was okay. That I was her beautiful, strong and brave boy. That she was so proud of me." Booth sucked in a breath again and swallowed hard.

"I _swore_ whenever I saw the man again, I wouldn't let him do that anymore. And of course a month later there was another episode. The process just pretty much repeated itself. At eight the beating was the worst for me than it ever had been. My father was out drinking of course, and I was alone with my brother watching cartoons. He came in and headed for the drawer that practically had all of our money in it. I was not gonna let him get it without a fight. I grabbed a lawn chair that we had been using as our dining seat and hit him with it. He fell and then stood back up with an evil fire in his eyes...." a few more tears escaped and sniffle as he continued,

"he grabbed me by-by the throat and held me against the wall...I-I... tried to break free but he was too strong....he slapped me across the face and told me to never do stuff like that...I-he-I was thrown across the room and landed on the beat-up poker table we used as an eating table until I slid off and was knocked out."

He stopped again and touched the back of his neck. She let some tears fall again as the silence that had suddenly wrapped around them squeezed her inner control. She watched his pale face seemingly resort back on the memory and put her hands on his cheeks bringing his eyes to hers. She slowly brought her face closer dropping a soft and sweet kiss on his lips. He left his eyes closed she moved her face away from his. The next few sentences did them both in.

"He killed her." Booth choked out on a sob. "Right in front of me he killed her. He came in...it was her birthday...I had a present that I made...He...She was going to send me and Jared away with her father where we would be safe...and he somehow figured it out and came in and and and he...he got something heavy...and he tried to hit her but I got my hands on it...and he-he hit...he broke three of my ribs and I screamed the loudest I had _ever_ screamed. He turned around and hit my mother across the face and she fell close to where I was, which was by our old coffee table with drawers. He hit her again in the stomach and blood...the _blood_ that came out of her mouth…" Booth was balling now. Not completely coherent. "but the cops were coming and he got up to see out the window...she opened the drawer and got the gun...and she shot him in the back of his head. I watched the whole thing, Bones! I tried to plead with her to stay with me...but she left." at the last part his voice squeaked and he fell back into her arms where they both sat crying their eyes out.

Now she understood. It was at that moment that she truly understood her partner and why he was the way he was. She felt so sorry for him and so angry with his ass of a father and so many more things as they cried together.

"I was seriously fucked up for a long time Bones. All through the rest of junior high and high school, I did everything I could to show the world how terribly unfair it was for me. I may have been smart enough to not contract any diseases or meddle too heavily with drugs; but the stuff I did Bones…I can't even begin to describe how ashamed I am. And if it wasn't for my grandfather…I probably would have ended it all. He helped restore my faith in people. He helped me see that life is shit, but that doesn't mean you have to be. He helped me get through the trauma of everything." He paused, looking at her. Slowly he said, "Thank you, Tempe, for listening to me. Thank you for not judging me. You just…you just proved my grandfather right."

She smiled wide as he settled back down by her side on the couch.

This was who they are now. They were no longer just Bones and Booth the dynamic duo...they were Temperance and Seeley the soul mates that understood each other on every level.

*****************************************************************************  
*****************************************************************************

The man dressed in all black stood outside the walls of the Jeffersonian. After being cast out, he cannot enter again. Inside his shadow he begins to plot his next move. Currently the building was covered in purity so he could not enter until that was penetrated.

Exhaling, he grasped his side that was harmed from being thrown out. He cursed the one made him leave. His master would not be happy.

He took a step back to observe the building and hissed at its inexplicable beauty. It will be defenseless when his target is gone. But he doubts he will be gone soon. Which leaves him waiting to be able to dive into his sub-conscious again. He cannot harm him unless he or someone more powerful than he gives the leeway, but he can taunt him until he forces him to leave.

His evil cheeks upturned with delight as he plotted what he would do next in his dreams. Turning on his heels, he began his trek to his next destination. Seeley Booth may be his main target, but he has others that he has to persuade to his side and do his bidding before he can obtain him. Before being entirely out of sight he whispered the final sentences to the structure as a promise of his return.

"Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin, Seeley Booth. Your empire will be divided."

With that he laughed in a hackle that could make your blood curl. Inside the shadows, he became the Demon again. His suit being replaced by the torn toga, his wings spreading out slowly, and his eyes glowing with delight as he pushed off the ground and disappeared from the naked eye.

* * *

Angela Montenegro was walking to her friends office when she noticed Booth come out in an entirely messed up dress shirt and rumpled hair. This sparked her curiosity so she picked up speed and caught the woman just as she was sneaking off to the woman's restroom.

"Sweetie! Spill. Now!" she said and then noticed her wet silky top and became concerned. "What happened?"

"It's a long story, Ange." she said passively while trying to duck past but getting blocked by her quick movements.

"Well I like long stories!" she replied while still blocking Brennan from shifting around her.

"Well this long story is inappropriate to talk about with you."

"I LIKE inappropriately long stories!" she said with an added grin.

"ANGE! Please let me go change!"

"Oh please is it? No, tell me and then you can go."

"I can't tell you."

"Well why not?"

"Because I just can't."

"That's not an answer, Sweetie."

"It's all I can say."

"Listen, if you don't tell me, I will be inclined to start assuming the order of events and we all know how much you HATE that!" she said with raised eyebrows to reinforce her point.

Brennan glared at her the best she could but still didn't break.

"No, Angela. I can't betray Booth's confidence."

"Not even for me?"

"Not even for you. If he says it's okay to tell you, then we will talk about what went on in that office, but until then I have to change."

"Sweetie, Booth isn't hurt or something is he? I mean I love him like the big brother I never had! He isn't like...dying or something?!" Angela said with panic screaming out of her facial expressions.

"No, Ange, he isn't dying. In fact...some psychologists would say, he is beginning to live. However I feel the statement would be irrational and frivolous."

Angela took a step back and observed her friend. Tear stains clearly visible in her eyes. Her shirt wet from possibly Booth's tears? This could be a stretch but the only other conclusion she could come up with was...

"Did he tell you about his childhood?"

Brennan stared deep within Angela brown eyes and saw sincerity laced with concern beaming back at her. She knew Angela was worried about him, so she thought this might help her settle down.

"Yes. But I can't-"

"Don't worry. If he wanted to talk to me about it, he would have. I know about him being abused as a child and if that is all he wants to disclose with me I understand. Booth has never operated well under the humanized category of "victim" and I don't believe he would start. So all I can say is congratulations Sweetie."

"Congratulations on what?"

"On earning Booth's trust to let you in like that. He would have NEVER done that with just anyone. Him telling you all of that, shows that he really does hold a lot of faith in you. You should feel proud."

"I am proud of _him_ for letting me in enough to hear that. Not the other way around."

"Whatever." she said as she gave her friend a squeeze.

Just when they were parting ways Angela decided to add one more dose of advice for her friend.

"And Bren?"

"Yes?"

"Don't...Don't crush him. Okay? Don't go all into anthropological crap and over analyze and rationalize and stuff. Just be there and let him feel safe. He hasn't ever had anyone to do that for him and I think he needs someone to do that for him. Okay?"

"I promise." they hugged briefly again and headed towards their directions.

* * *

Booth pushed the door to the men's room open and immediately began unbuttoning his dress shirt. He mumbled something to himself until he saw Hodgins staring at him with his usually inquiring look.

"What?" Booth asked.

"Oh nothing. I was just wondering why my friend waltzed into the bathroom in crazy rumpled clothes armed with a shirt that read ""Bones Rocks My Socks""." he finished the last part with a loud laugh as he braced himself against the sink.

"HAHAHA it's very funny." He replied while resuming unbuttoning his shirt.

"Yeah I would say so. So come on, do I have to beg. What's the reason dude?"

"First don't call me dude and second I would find it find it amusing if you begged."

"Yeah, I don't beg. So out with it."

"Hodg-"

"Uh-uh! You are going to tell me what happened! Man, you and I haven't had decent guy talk in months!"

"Come on, what are we girls? I didn't realize you were keeping tabs on our ""guy talk""."

"Seriously, dude. We don't talk anymore."

"Seriously Jack, you are kinda freaking me out!" he said with a laugh until he noticed Hodgins wasn't laughing. "I think the better question is...what's eating _you_?"

"Huh? Nothing." Hodgins quickly dismissed.

"Hodge, I know you better than that." he gave back while slipping on his t-shirt.

Jack sighed and looked down at the floor.

"Angela." they both said in unison and then chuckled.

Booth moved in front of the mirror to see his extremely disheveled hair.

"Oi, I can't fix this real well either." he said as he began trying to spike it up again.

Hodgins kept his eyes on the floor lost in a world of thoughts and memories. She was right in front of him almost every day so close to touch but yet so far away. He sighed and Booth started talking without even looking his way.

"You know, Angela loves you. And I know you love her. What's the hold up?"

"Dude, do you not remember why we broke up?"

"DUDE do you not remember me telling you that was the dumbest excuse to sever that relationship?"

"Trust is important Booth."

"Indeed. But you DO trust each other."

Hodgins stared at him until Booth looked his way.

"If we trusted each other, I wouldn't have felt insecure about Gracin still being around and Angela wouldn't have felt insecure about my feeling towards her."

Booth smiled and turned on the faucet.

"Hodgins, listen to me okay? I may not be the world's best relationship coach or anything, but I do know love when I see it. And you trust Angela just like she trusts you. Because if you two didn't, you two would have already moved on."

"Dude, I could have gotten better advice from a cheesy relationship coach."

"Then go see one." he said with a laugh and turned his way grabbing a paper towel. "Seriously though, the reason I say you two trust each other is because of the way you two are. I mean how many people can break up and still manage to work in the same environment? That takes a lot of trust. Starting with trust the one person won't purposefully try and embarrass the other for bettering themselves or something awful like that. But that's only one example. There are several others. You love her, you trust her, why don't have you her?"

"Because she isn't something to be had."

"SEE!"

"What?"

"Another great example. You acknowledge she isn't something to be won or ''to be had''. PERFECT sign that you love her."

"But THAT doesn't fix my problem!"

"Actually it does."

"How? I-… yes, I love Angela with everything, but that just isn't enough!"

"It is and unfortunately I can't tell you why because you have to figure that out on your own."

Hodgins sighed deeply.

"Booth, you have made me even more confused than when I was first talking to you."

"Go see a relationship coach." he said with a grin.

Hodgins had to ask something before he burst.

"Okay enough about me. Brennan. You and her?"

"Yeah."

"HA I knew it. She called you Seeley and I just knew it. Congratulations man!"

"Thanks." they started towards the door after Booth had changed pants and they continued talking in their usual sarcastic poking manner.

"And by the way. You owe me seventy five bucks for therapy."

"Dude you yourself said you aren't a coach. So you can't charge me."

"True, but I could start charging for every time you call me dude."

"That would add up quick."

"Ah...it's not like you're short on funds."

"And it's not like you have a forgetting memory."

"No I don't."

The two friends headed towards the platform to see what was new.

* * *

"Okay here is the facial reconstruction!" Angela proudly says as she holds up the girl's face. "And I have already had some hits, so I think I might have found her."

"Let's see it." Sweets said still firmly holding the file containing the crime scene photos and the mysterious note.

"Okay..." she said as she turned around at her station and pulled up the zip-file on her desktop. As she was clicking on it to be viewed on the main screens Booth and Hodgins returned.

"Okay, squints, anything new yet?" Booth said as he sat down in a chair.

"Yeah, here is who I_ believe_ is our girl." Angela replied as it displayed on the screen.

"Nora Michaels, age 19, originally from Houston, moved up to Boston and was a student at Harvard. Reported missing two-weeks ago by her friend Esavio Estevez."

"Well I am just gonna have to pay a visit to Esavio, now aren't I?" Booth said to one in particular.

"Guess so..." she said while in deep thought. "You know..." she stopped mid-sentence and burst into laughter. "Nice...shirt!" she between breaths.

"Thank you, I am rather proud of it."

"I can imagine why, Agent Booth." Sweets said with a raised eyebrow.

"Sweets quit the psychology junk okay? It's just a shirt."

"Did I say or imply otherwise? I merely said, 'I can imagine why,' no psychology."

"But you had that look in your eye."

"Look?"

"Yeah the _look_ you always give me, when I know you're studying me."

"People will study you, regardless Agent Booth. Whether I hold a certain look or expression could mean nothing. In truth, we are all studying each other every second of everyday..."

"Alright alright alright already! I got it! Thanks!"

"Well Nora has definitely been dead for at least two and a half weeks." Hodgins interrupted already sick of Sweets and Booth's argument.

"How do you know?" Sweets asked.

Hodgins gave him an irritated look and replied, "My bugs don't lie!"

Booth and Angela started laughing at his joke and Sweets stood amongst them with a scowl.

"I think I have a theory, on what the words mean, Dr. Sweets." Brennan chimed in as she made her way up the platform steps.

All heads turned her way and all jaws immediately dropped. She was wearing a royal blue fitted halter top with circle neck line and beading along the neck line and waist line. It hugged every curve and as she threw her lab coat in the air over her shoulders you caught just enough to make you drop over from a heart attack. Booth nearly fell out of his chair. His Bones has NEVER worn anything like it. Not that he minded, but...wow.

Bones noticed everyone's reaction but only cared about Booth's. She was pleased with herself in succeeding on her goal.

"Ummm...yeah? You got...an ummm...theory?" Sweets said stumbling over his words like a teenager.

"Yes, I do." she replied as she approached everyone and purposefully left the flap of her coat open.

"Well, Sweetie. Let's hear it." Angela gave back with her mischievous smile in full swing.

"Bones..." Booth finally choked out.

She smiled at his dilated dark eyes and replied with a voice he had never heard..."Yes, Booth?"

"I-uh-You need to know the victim's stuff."

"I heard. Don't worry."

"K." was all he could say and swallowed hard. This was gonna be a long day.

"Okay, so I realize that usually I am the least likely to offer a semi-psychological theory, but this one may be understood. I believe it is what has been frequently referred to as a _"calling card"_."

"I am impressed Bones, you got the term right."

"Interesting assumption Dr. Brennan." Sweets said while simultaneously kicking his psycho-analyzing mind into high gear.

"No assumptions. Fact. Booth can elaborate."

He looked at her with pleading eyes, but she told him with her own that he had too.

"About eight years ago, I was working as a PA for a man named Sonja Verdimyer. We had a case that was similar to this one, however, the murderer left no note."

"And." Brennan prodded.

"Ugh..AND the case went cold and so I mighta reopened it and found that it was actually our supervisor that was the murderer and found him by myself in an abandoned old building -after trouble had enswerved- he might have said the four words to me while getting in the squad car."

"And."

"Bones..."

"Booth."

"Fine. And maybe...you will all think I am crazy but as I explained to Bones, I know what I saw and you can't change my mind...and I saw a demon."

"WHAT?!!?!!!?!" Angela, Sweets, Hodgins and now Cam and Carter who had just reappeared for the last few words nearly screamed.

"Yes. And I am NOT crazy. I know what I saw, and no matter what you say you won't change that."

The five stood in shock so Booth capped it all off with the final part of the story.

"And when I got home that night....The same words-Mene mene tekel upharsin- were written on my wall...in blood."

At the final part, Carter fainted.

------------------

R&R


End file.
